Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-06

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 6.5)

The given diagram illustrates the sugar manufacturing process from sugar canes. It is clear that there are 7 main steps, begins with sugar cane growing and ends with drying and cooling of final sugar product.

In the first step, sugar canes are grown for 12-18 months period. Then, mature sugar canes are harvested by both manually and mechanically. After that harvested sugar canes are crushed using crushing machines to get the juice out. Then the extracted juice is sent through a limestone filter to purify it. In the next stage, purified juice is evoporated using heat to make the sugar cane syrup. After that, syrup is centrifuged using centrifuge to seperate sugar crystals from sugar syrup. In the final stage, the separated crystals are dried and cooled in the large containers to make the final sugar product.

Overall, It can be seen that the process of making sugar from sugar canes is a complex process involving many steps.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the full sequence and includes key details such as the 12–18-month growing period, the two harvesting methods, limestone filtration, heating, centrifuging, and final drying and cooling. The opening also identifies the start and end points, giving the reader a useful overview. This meets the task well, but some descriptions are less precise or developed than others: for example, “to make the final sugar product” is a general ending, and the overview calls the process “complex” without highlighting its main transformation from cane to juice, syrup, and crystals. The account would be stronger with a concise overview of these key changes and more exact descriptions of the stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The stages are presented in a clear, logical order, and the reader can follow the process from growing through to the finished sugar. Sequencing expressions such as “In the first step,” “Then,” “After that,” and “In the final stage” help maintain progression. The paragraphing is also appropriate, separating the introduction and overview from the stage-by-stage account. However, the repeated use of “Then” and “After that” makes some linking mechanical, and the final “Overall” sentence repeats the general idea of the introduction rather than adding a distinct summary. Varying transitions and integrating the overview more effectively would make the progression feel more flexible and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “crushed,” “limestone filter,” “evaporated,” and “centrifuge,” so the stages are generally easy to understand. There is also some useful variation in describing the material, such as “extracted juice” and “sugar crystals.” However, several word-choice and spelling issues limit precision: “evoporated” and “seperate” are misspelled, while “sugar cane syrup” and “crushing machines” are less natural or specific than alternatives such as “syrup” and “crusher.” Repetition of “sugar canes” and “final” also narrows the range. More accurate spelling and natural process collocations would improve control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response combines straightforward statements with some longer sentences, and most of the process remains understandable. For example, the sentence describing juice being sent through a limestone filter uses a clear passive construction, which suits a process diagram. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In the opening, “there are 7 main steps, begins” combines incompatible structures; use “there are seven main steps, beginning…” or “the process begins…”. “For 12-18 months period” needs an article (“for a period of 12–18 months”), and “harvested by both manually and mechanically” has an incorrect grammatical pattern. The final overview also has an unnecessary capital in “It.” Greater control of sentence construction, articles, and parallel forms would make the writing more accurate.

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

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