Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-22

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows the manufacturing process for making sugar from sugar cane.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

How sugar is produced from sugar cane

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given image explains about the manufacturing process for making sugar from sugarcane.

It shows the process step by step. The first step is growing of the sugarcane. The time period taken to grow sugarcane is 12-18 months.

After the growing , the harvesting process is started by the farmers. In harvesting , the sugarcanes are crushed by the tractors in the farm or can also be cut by the farmers.

Once the harvesting is done, sugar canes are crushed using the machine to make the juice. The juice is then purified using the limestone filter which prevents the mixing of the unwanted ingredients like seeds in the juice.

After the filteration process is completed , the juice is evaporated. The juice is then converted into syrup.

Then, the centrifuge is used to seperate the sugar crystals from syrup.

The sugar is then kept for some time for drying and cooling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the main sequence from growing through drying and cooling, and correctly include the 12–18-month growing period, the limestone filter, evaporation into syrup, and separation of sugar crystals. However, some process details are inaccurate or unclear: the canes are harvested by machine or by hand, not “crushed by the tractors” during harvesting; crushing happens at the next stage. The explanation that the filter removes “seeds” is not shown in the diagram, so this adds unsupported information. The response also lacks a concise overview identifying the process as a sequence that begins with growing and ends with drying and cooling. More precise reporting of the two harvesting methods and a clear overview would make the account more complete and better supported by the visual.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and paragraph breaks help separate the beginning, middle, and final stages. Sequencing phrases such as “Once the harvesting is done,” “After the filteration process,” and “Then” guide the reader through the process. However, the response is divided into many short paragraphs, and the repeated “The juice is then” and “The sugar is then” make the progression somewhat mechanical. The harvesting sentence also blurs the distinction between harvesting and crushing, interrupting the clarity of the sequence. Grouping related stages into fewer paragraphs and using clearer links between stages would improve flow while retaining the straightforward organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “limestone filter,” “evaporated,” “syrup,” and “centrifuge,” which allows the reader to follow most of the production stages. However, the range is somewhat repetitive, particularly with repeated uses of “process,” “then,” and “juice.” Some word choices are imprecise: “crushed by the tractors” misrepresents harvesting, while “unwanted ingredients like seeds” is not supported by the diagram. There are also spelling errors in “filteration” and “seperate,” and “kept for some time” is vague for describing the final stage. Aim for precise process verbs and accurate collocations, such as describing canes as harvested mechanically or by hand and sugar as dried and cooled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Most sentences communicate one stage clearly, and you use some variation, including passive forms such as “are crushed” and “is then converted,” which suit a process description. However, the sentence patterns are mostly simple, and some grammatical choices are awkward or incomplete. For example, “The time period taken to grow sugarcane is 12-18 months” needs an article or a more natural construction, while “the harvesting process is started” is an unnecessarily awkward passive. There are also inconsistent spaces before punctuation, as in “growing ,” and “completed ,”. Use a wider mix of accurate sentence structures, and check articles, passive constructions, and punctuation to make the description smoother.

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