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)

Lets find out how to generate sugar from sugarcane. First of all, you might know that the process of growing sugarcane is about 12-18 months. After that it goes through the Harvesting process. The harvesting sugarcane can be done by machine or by human. After that a machine is used to crush that harvested crops. Then crushing sugarcane produce juice. A limestone filter is used to purifying that juice. When we heat the purifying juice, it evaporates that juice. Then a syrup is produced under the process of evaporation. This syrup is used to generate sugar crystals. In the process of Centrifuge, sugar crystals will be separated from that syrup. After that, these sugar crystals will pass through the drying and cooling process. This drying and cooling method converts the sugar crystals into a simple sugar. Overall seven steps we have to follow to generate sugar from sugarcane such as growing, harvesting, crushing, purifying juice, evaporator, centrifuge and drying & 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 and the two harvesting methods. The description also identifies crushing, limestone filtration, evaporation and centrifuging. However, the overview is mainly a list of the seven stages rather than a clear summary of the process’s overall transformation from cane to sugar. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows the evaporator turning juice into syrup, not simply “evaporat[ing] that juice,” and drying and cooling produce the final sugar rather than “simple sugar.” Explain the key changes at each stage more precisely and avoid adding unsupported descriptions such as “simple.” This would make the account more complete and accurate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in the correct general order, so the reader can follow the process from cultivation to the final product. You also use basic sequencing expressions such as “First of all,” “After that” and “Then.” However, these links are repeated frequently, making the progression sound mechanical, and the response is written as one continuous paragraph. The opening “Lets find out” is conversational rather than an effective introduction to a process report, while the final sentence repeats the stage list instead of providing a distinct overview. Group the stages into paragraphs—for example, cultivation and preparation, followed by processing—and use a wider range of precise links such as “subsequently” or “in the final stage.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “limestone filter,” “evaporation,” “syrup” and “centrifuge,” which helps communicate the stages. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or unnatural. “Generate sugar” is repeated, “simple sugar” is not supported by the diagram, and “the harvesting sugarcane” is an awkward phrase. There are also word-form and collocation problems in expressions such as “crushing sugarcane produce juice” and “used to purifying.” Aim for accurate process verbs and natural collocations, such as “extract juice,” “filter the juice” and “separate sugar crystals from the remaining syrup.” This will make the description more precise and less repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt some longer structures, including “When we heat the purifying juice…” and “In the process of Centrifuge…,” but most sentences follow a simple pattern and several contain grammatical errors. For example, “crushing sugarcane produce juice” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “is used to purifying” uses the wrong verb form after “to.” The sentence “This syrup is used to generate sugar crystals” also obscures the process relationship. There are inconsistent capital letters in “Harvesting” and “Centrifuge,” and the opening “Lets” needs an apostrophe if retained. Practise accurate passive constructions for process descriptions, such as “The juice is filtered” and “The syrup is heated,” and vary sentence structures while checking agreement and verb forms.

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