Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The figure given shows the creating process for producing sugar from sugar cane .

Summarize the given data by highlighting the key points and presenting relevant comparison.

Overview first of all starting process sugar is produced from sugar cane and any steps to produced in sugar and end of steps in drying and cooling.

The first steps in making to sugar growing (12-18months) and further sugar cane. The second steps in Harvesting and thired steps in crushing with making in juice . The fourth steps in purifying juice and limestone filter. The fifth steps is making in Evaporator ( juice become syrup). The six steps in centrifuge ( separates sugar crystal from syrup). The seven steps in Drying and cooling with sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as sugar production from sugar cane and include the stated growing period of 12–18 months, the harvesting, and the final drying and cooling stage. However, the response mainly lists the seven stages rather than summarising the process’s main features, and the overview is unclear: “any steps to produced in sugar” does not explain the overall transformation from cane to sugar. Some details are named, such as the limestone filter and centrifuge, but their roles and the sequence of materials are not clearly reported. The diagram also shows two harvesting methods—mechanical and manual—which you omit. The response is 28 words below the required minimum, limiting the opportunity to develop an accurate overview and key details. Explain how juice is extracted, purified, concentrated into syrup, and separated into crystals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic sense of sequence: you move from growing through harvesting and processing to drying and cooling, and the numbered stages help the reader follow the order. However, the response is presented as one block, with no clear separation between an overview and the detailed stages. The opening overview is difficult to interpret, and the repeated pattern “The first steps… The second steps… The fourth steps…” makes the account sound like a list rather than a connected process description. Linking words and references are limited, so relationships between stages and changes in the material are not always clear. Use a short overview paragraph followed by a paragraph tracing the stages, with links such as “After harvesting” and “The resulting juice is then…”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use several relevant process terms, including “harvesting,” “crushing,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “centrifuge,” and “drying and cooling.” These show awareness of the diagram’s vocabulary. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are inaccurate, which makes parts of the description hard to understand. For example, “the creating process” and “making to sugar” are not natural ways to describe production, while “juice become syrup” needs a more precise process expression. There are also spelling and form errors such as “thired” and “crystal” where the plural is needed. Build a small set of accurate process verbs and collocations, such as “extract juice,” “filter the liquid,” and “separate sugar crystals.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to describe a sequence and includes a few short sentence-like statements, but grammatical control is weak and the range of sentence structures is very limited. Errors in verb forms and sentence construction occur repeatedly, as in “Overview first of all starting process sugar is produced” and “The fifth steps is making in Evaporator.” These patterns make relationships between the stages unclear. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and punctuation, including inconsistent spacing before full stops and parentheses. Aim first for accurate simple present-tense sentences, for example, “Sugar cane is harvested and crushed to extract the juice.” Then add a few controlled clauses using “which” or “before” to show how one stage leads to the next.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.