Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-03

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 process of sugar producing from sugar cane.

overall"it is a seven stages process which the process strats growing sugar cane and ending with drying and cooling the sugar. it taking around 12to18 months producing sugar cane than the harvesting.

First, the process starts growing sugar cane in 12to18 months become full mature.second,stage the sugar cane harvesting using by machine either by hand.after,that the third stage harvesting process are passing through the crushing machine than sugar cane and juice. fourth stage,the purifying juice are passed through the limestone filter remove the impurities. while,the purifying juice are heated into evaporator remove the water than juice become thick syrup.

Following this,the sixth stage of thick juice are put into the centrifuge than seperate the sugar cane liquid crystals into syrup.seventh stage,the remove liquid crystals syrup either juice are add into drying and cooling in the sugar large container.as results, the final product which is sugar is ready than is use it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages in the correct overall order, from growing sugar cane through harvesting, crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuging, and drying and cooling. The overview identifies the seven-stage process and its beginning and end, while the 12–18-month growing period is accurately reported. You also mention both harvesting methods and the limestone filter. Some details are unclear or inaccurate: for example, the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from syrup, but the description says it separates “sugar cane liquid crystals into syrup”; the final stage is described as adding material to a container rather than drying and cooling it. To make the account more complete and precise, explain the key transformation from juice to syrup and then the separation of crystals from the remaining syrup.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an opening, an overview, and a sequence of stages. Sequencing expressions such as “First,” “second,” “Following this,” and “seventh stage” help readers follow the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and several links between ideas are unclear. For instance, “after, that the third stage harvesting process are passing through” makes the transition from harvesting to crushing difficult to interpret, while “while” does not clearly connect evaporation to the preceding purification stage. Paragraphing is also limited, with most details crowded into one block. Use a separate overview paragraph and group the stages into clear sections, linking each step with accurate transitions such as “The juice is then filtered” and “Next, it is heated.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “centrifuge,” and “drying and cooling,” which helps identify the equipment and stages. There are also attempts at more specific terms such as “impurities” and “final product.” However, word choice and word forms are often inaccurate or repetitive, sometimes making the process hard to understand. “Sugar producing” would be more naturally expressed as “sugar production,” and “thick juice” is less precise than “syrup.” The phrase “sugar cane liquid crystals” also confuses the materials being separated. Build a reliable set of process verbs and collocations—such as “extract juice,” “filter the juice,” and “separate sugar crystals from syrup”—and check spelling and spacing in forms such as “separate” and “12 to 18 months.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the stages are generally presented in a sequence that can be followed. However, grammatical control is uneven: errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction sometimes obscure relationships between steps. For example, “it taking around 12to18 months producing sugar cane” lacks a clear finite verb and has an unclear structure; “the purifying juice are passed” has incorrect agreement; and “the process starts growing” needs a grammatical pattern such as “starts with growing.” Punctuation and capitalisation are also inconsistent, particularly around sentence openings and stage transitions. Practise writing one clear sentence for each stage, using consistent present simple passive forms—for example, “The juice is filtered through limestone”—before combining ideas into longer sentences.

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