Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-29

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 diagram illustrates the manufacturing way for making sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, it is man-made process started from growing the sugar cane and end with finished from drying and cooling the sugar.

In the first stage, man started growing the sugar canes about 12-18months after that they trying to cut the canes into thin strips and harvesting the sugar canes through harvester machine. In the third step, they put all the sugar canes in to the crushing machine which make the juice. In the fourth step, they purifying the juice through limestone filter and then they put the juice in to the evaporator that heats up and then converted in to the syrup.

In the fifth step, it is centrifuge which separated the sugar crystal from syrup.

The final manufacturing stage begin with drying and cooling the sugar.

To sum up, the production of sugar cane involves natural growth such as (growing sugar canes,harvesting,crushing,purifying,evaporator,centrifuge and drying and cooling sugar).

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as beginning with cane growth and ending with drying and cooling, and include several key stages such as crushing, purification, evaporation and centrifuging. However, coverage is partial and some details are inaccurate or unclear. For example, the diagram shows harvesting by either a machine or by hand, but your account mentions only a harvester and adds that the canes are cut “into thin strips,” which is not shown. The overview also calls the process “man-made” without clearly summarising the transformation from cane to sugar. Present the stages in their correct order and explain the main changes more precisely, especially that juice becomes syrup before crystals are separated.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall sequence, with an opening, an overview and a description that generally follows the production stages. Sequencing phrases such as “In the first stage,” “In the fourth step” and “The final manufacturing stage” help the reader follow the process. However, the organisation is not fully consistent: the centrifuge is called the “fifth step” even though it follows the evaporator, and the final “To sum up” repeats a list rather than adding a useful conclusion. Some links between stages are also compressed into a long sentence, making the progression harder to track. Use one clear paragraph for the overview and group the stages into logically connected sections, with accurate sequencing and concise transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “crushing,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “syrup” and “centrifuge,” which allows the reader to recognise the main stages. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are awkward, such as “manufacturing way,” “finished from drying,” and “natural growth” to describe the whole production process. Repetition of “sugar cane” and “step” also reduces flexibility. Aim for precise process language and natural collocations, for example, “the production process,” “the cane is crushed,” and “the sugar crystals are separated.” Check word forms as well: “sugar crystals” is more appropriate than “sugar crystal” in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the sequence is usually understandable. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, particularly in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction. Examples include “it is man-made process started,” “they trying to cut,” “they purifying the juice,” and “The final manufacturing stage begin.” These errors make some descriptions difficult to process, while the long sentence beginning “In the third step” combines several actions without secure structure. Practise using passive forms suited to process descriptions, such as “the cane is crushed” and “the juice is purified,” and check that each sentence has a correctly formed verb. Shorter, accurately punctuated sentences would also improve clarity.

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