Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-10

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 6.0)

The diagram is an illustration of all the steps involved in the production of sugar from sugarcane. The first step shows how sugar canes are grown for 12-18 months before the process is initiated. After their full growth, the sugar canes are harvested by a truck or by being cut from the edge. The extracted sugar canes are put into a crusher in step 3 where the juice is extracted and collected into a bowl. The 4th step involves the purification of the sugar cane juice through a limestone filter which removes any residual impurities in the juice.

After the filtration and purfication is done, the sugar cane juice is put into an evaporator where the juice becomes a syrup when it is heated. The heater evaporate the water, leaving the sugar particles behind. The syrup is then tranferred to a centrifuge which revolves in a cicular motion and helps separate the sugar crystals from the syrup.

The sugar crystals are collected and put into a drum or collector and afterwards, dried and cooled to remove excess water leaving solid sugar crystals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages in the correct order, including the growing period, two harvesting methods, crushing, filtration, evaporation, centrifuging, and final drying and cooling. The description of juice becoming syrup and crystals being separated is relevant and shows understanding of the process. However, there is no distinct overview summarising the process as a whole, such as noting that it is a linear, seven-stage process beginning with cultivation and ending with dried sugar. Some details are also unclear or not supported by the diagram: harvesting is described as being done “by a truck or by being cut from the edge,” and the final product is said to be collected in a “drum or collector.” The explanation of evaporation and water removal adds detail not explicitly shown. A clearer overview and closer adherence to the visual would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised in a clear sequence, moving from cultivation and harvesting through processing to the final product. The paragraph break before evaporation also helps distinguish the later stages, and linking phrases such as “After” and “The syrup is then” make the order easy to follow. This is a coherent overall arrangement. To make progression more polished, use paragraphing to group the stages more deliberately—for example, cultivation through purification in one paragraph, then evaporation through drying in another—and add a concise overview near the beginning. Some references could also be more precise: “After the filtration and purification is done” repeats an earlier point rather than advancing the process, while “the process” in the opening could be specified more clearly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “purification,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “centrifuge,” and “sugar crystals.” These terms help communicate the stages accurately, and the meaning remains clear despite some imprecise choices. However, several expressions are either informal or do not match the diagram closely: “bowl” for the juice container, “truck” for the mechanical harvester, and “drum or collector” for the final drying equipment. There are also spelling errors in “purfication,” “tranferred,” and “cicular,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process nouns and verbs, and proofread spelling; this will make the vocabulary more controlled and appropriate for an academic process description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including time clauses such as “before the process is initiated” and a relative clause in “a centrifuge which revolves.” Most sentences communicate the sequence clearly. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “After the filtration and purfication is done,” the compound subject calls for a plural verb (“are done”), and “The heater evaporate the water” has a subject–verb agreement error; the diagram also does not identify a heater as the agent. The final sentence, “The sugar crystals are collected and put into a drum or collector and afterwards, dried and cooled,” has an awkwardly coordinated structure that makes the actions less clear. Review agreement and parallel sentence construction while retaining your varied sentence patterns.

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