Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 diagram gives information about how sugar is manufactured from sugar canes.

Overall, the process consists of seven steps which begins with the growing of sugar canes with a span of 12-18 months and ends drying and cooling the sugar. Harvesting sugar canes can be man-made or by a large proccessing automotive

Intially, sugar canes are planted into farm fields, giving them some time to grow over around 12-18 months. After reaching the ideal time limit, sugar canes are then harvested either through a processing machine or by man labour. Subsequently, they are processed in a crushing machine to turn them into juice.

At step 4, the juice from sugar canes are then purified using a limestone filter to remove excess contamination. They are then evaporated in a evaporator in order to become a syrup. Sugars are then separated from the syrup in a processing called centrifuge. Finally, they are then dried and cooled in a metal barrel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers the main stages in the correct order, from growing the cane for 12–18 months through harvesting, crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuging, and drying and cooling. The overview identifies the seven-step sequence and its beginning and end, while the body includes relevant details such as the limestone filter and the conversion of juice into syrup. This gives a clear account of the process. Some descriptions are less precise than the diagram: “planted into farm fields” and “remove excess contamination” add details not shown, and “metal barrel” is not specified. The harvesting methods are also described vaguely. To strengthen the account, report only visible information and describe the final stages and harvesting methods more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs that follow the process from cultivation to the final product. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Subsequently,” “At step 4,” and “Finally” make the progression easy to follow, and the stages are presented in the correct order. Some linking and referencing could be more controlled. For example, “They are then evaporated” has an unclear reference, since the preceding noun is “juice,” and “They are then dried and cooled” could refer to either the sugar or the syrup. The overview’s final phrase, “ends drying and cooling the sugar,” is also awkwardly connected. Use explicit nouns at transitions and make the overview’s sentence structure complete to improve clarity.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for describing a manufacturing process, with useful terms such as “limestone filter,” “evaporated,” “syrup,” and “centrifuge.” The writer also uses process-related verbs, including “purified,” “separated,” and “crushing,” so the stages are generally understandable. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural: “man-made” does not clearly describe harvesting by hand, “processing automotive” is not an appropriate term for the machine, and “metal barrel” is an unsupported description of the drying equipment. There are also spelling errors in “proccessing” and “Intially.” Aim for accurate process vocabulary and natural collocations, and check spelling carefully; for example, describe the two harvesting methods as mechanical and manual.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mix of simple and more complex structures, including “After reaching the ideal time limit” and “in order to become a syrup.” However, some errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction remain. In the overview, “the process consists of seven steps which begins” mismatches the plural “steps” with “begins,” and “ends drying and cooling” lacks a grammatical link such as “with.” In “the juice … are then purified,” the singular subject requires “is”; “in a evaporator” also needs the article “an.” The final sentence uses “they” without a clear grammatical antecedent. Review subject–verb agreement, article use, and complete verb patterns, while retaining the attempts at complex sentences.

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