Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-28

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 process diagram demonstrates the production of sugar from the sugarcane.

Initially, the sugarcanes are grown for about 12 to 18 months in the fields. After that, when it grows, it will harvest by the farmers. The harvesting is completed after cutting it. Then sugarcanes are crashed in a machine. After crushing, its juice is prepared. Along with this, the juice is sent to a filter called "Limestone Filter" where the juice is purified. After purifying it, it will send in the evaporator. It is heated until it becomes a syrup. When it turns into a syrup, it sends to a centrifuger. It is a machine which separates sugar crystals from the syrup. When the sugar crystals are separated from the syrup, it will send to a drying and cooling machine. That machine dries the sugar crystals. Futhermore, after cooling, the crystals turn itno the sugar. Now, the sugar is ready to sell in the market.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You cover the main sequence from growing sugar cane through to drying and cooling, and correctly include the 12–18-month growing period, purification, evaporation and separation of crystals. However, the account is largely a step-by-step description rather than a summary of the process’s main features. There is no clear overview identifying the overall transformation from cane to sugar or noting the process’s distinct stages. Some details are also inaccurate or unsupported: the diagram shows both mechanical and manual harvesting, but you mention only farmers, and it does not state that the finished sugar is ready for sale. To strengthen the response, add a concise overview and report the two harvesting methods while avoiding assumptions beyond the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are generally presented in the correct order, and sequencing phrases such as “Initially,” “After that,” and “When it turns into a syrup” help the reader follow the process. The response is nevertheless one continuous paragraph, so the overview and process details are not clearly separated. Linking is also repetitive and sometimes mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “After” and “When.” Some references are unclear, as in “it will send in the evaporator” and “That machine dries the sugar crystals.” Organise the response into an overview followed by logically grouped stages, and use clearer references and a wider range of transitions to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “purified,” “evaporator,” “syrup,” and “sugar crystals,” which allows the reader to understand the main stages. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate: “crashed” is used for the crushing stage, “centrifuger” is not the correct name for the machine, and “itno” is a spelling error. Phrases such as “the juice is prepared” and “ready to sell in the market” are imprecise or add information not shown in the diagram. Aim for accurate process collocations and avoid repeating general words such as “machine.” More precise verbs such as “extracts,” “filters,” and “separates” would make the description clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses mostly simple sentences, with some attempts to link clauses, for example, “It is heated until it becomes a syrup.” Meaning is generally understandable, but errors recur in verb forms and sentence construction. In “when it grows, it will harvest by the farmers,” the passive form is incorrect; write “once mature, it is harvested.” Similarly, “After purifying it, it will send in the evaporator” needs a passive construction, such as “After purification, the juice is sent to the evaporator.” There are also awkward shifts between present and future forms, including repeated “will” in a process description. Practise consistent present simple passive forms and vary sentence structures while checking agreement and articles.

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