Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The diagram illustrate the manufacturing process for making sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, the process consists of seven stages, beginning with the cultivation of sugarcane and ending with the production of sugar.

First, Farmers plant sugarcane on the field, allowing it to grow between 12 and 18 months. They then come to harvest, cutting the sugarcane few metres from the ground, and leaving it for regrowth. The harvest are put into the tractor, transporting the sugarcane out of the field. Following this, they are put into a crusher, crushing the sugarcane into juice.

The juice undergoes the process of purification, using limestone filter. The purified juice is then heated in a evaporator, causing it to becoming a syrup. The syrup passes through a process called 'centrifuge', this separate sugar crystals from syrup. Finally, the crystals are being dried and cooled, resulting to sugar. This process is called 'drying and cooling'.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the seven-stage sequence and give a clear overview, from growing sugar cane to producing sugar. The account includes the growth period and the main processing stages, including purification, evaporation and centrifuging. However, some details are inaccurate or unsupported: the diagram does not show cane being cut a few metres above the ground, left to regrow, or transported out of the field by tractor. It shows mechanical and manual harvesting, both leading to crushing. The final stage is described as drying and cooling, but the result is sugar, not specifically crystals being dried. The response is also 9 words below the 150-word minimum. Add accurate detail about the two harvesting methods and explain the stages more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview and a chronological description, so the reader can follow the process from cultivation to the final product. Sequencing expressions such as “First,” “Following this,” and “Finally” help signal progression. This is a coherent structure, and the stages are generally presented in the correct order. To make the links more natural and precise, avoid unclear references such as “they” in “they are put into a crusher,” where the pronoun could refer to farmers or harvested cane. The sentence “The syrup passes through a process called 'centrifuge', this separate…” also joins two ideas awkwardly. Use a full stop or a linking clause, and keep each stage clearly connected to its input and output.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “cultivation,” “purification,” “evaporator,” “syrup,” and “sugar crystals.” These terms help convey the technical sequence, and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, several imprecise or unnatural choices: “the harvest are put into the tractor” does not accurately describe the diagram, while “resulting to sugar” is an unsuitable collocation. “Centrifuge” is the name of the machine or process, but “passes through a process called 'centrifuge'” is not a natural way to express this stage. Aim for precise process verbs and natural combinations, such as “the cane is crushed” and “the crystals are dried and cooled.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex structures, including “allowing it to grow…” and “causing it to becoming a syrup.” The overall meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “The diagram illustrate” needs subject–verb agreement, and “The harvest are” has an agreement error. Articles and verb forms also need attention in “using limestone filter,” “in a evaporator,” and “causing it to becoming.” The sentence beginning “The syrup passes through…” contains a comma splice, and “the crystals are being dried” uses an unnecessarily progressive form for a process description. Practise accurate passive constructions and check agreement, articles and verb patterns when editing.

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