Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-02

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 8.5)

The diagram illustrates the process of producing sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, sugar production is a linear process consisting of seven stages, beginning with the cultivation of sugar cane and ending with the drying and cooling of the finished sugar. The process involves growing, harvesting, crushing, purifying, evaporating, centrifuging, and finally drying the sugar crystals.

First, sugar cane is grown for a period of 12 to 18 months until it reaches maturity. Once fully grown, the crop is harvested either mechanically, using a harvesting machine, or manually, with workers cutting the stalks by hand. After harvesting, the sugar cane is transported to a crusher, where the juice is extracted by pressing the stalks.

Next, the extracted juice is purified by passing it through a limestone filter to remove impurities. The purified liquid is then heated in an evaporator, where water is removed, causing the juice to thicken into syrup. Following this, the syrup is transferred to a centrifuge, which spins rapidly to separate the sugar crystals from the remaining liquid. In the final stage, these crystals are dried and cooled, resulting in the finished sugar ready for use.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response effectively covers all stages of the sugar production process as depicted in the diagram. You have successfully identified the main features, starting from the cultivation phase through to the final drying and cooling of the crystals. The information is logically presented, and you have made good use of the provided visual data to create a clear, step-by-step summary. The overview provided in the second paragraph is particularly strong, as it concisely outlines the entire process, which is a key requirement for Task 1. No significant information was omitted, and the response is well-balanced throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is well-structured with a clear introduction, a concise overview, and two body paragraphs that logically group the stages of the process. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving chronologically from cultivation to the final product. You have used a variety of cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Once', 'After', 'Next', 'Following this', and 'In the final stage' to guide the reader through the sequence. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the initial stages from the more technical processing stages, making the text easy to follow and coherent throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You have demonstrated a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a process description, such as 'cultivation', 'maturity', 'mechanically', 'extracted', 'purified', 'evaporator', and 'centrifuge'. The word choices are precise and accurately describe the technical steps involved in the process. There are no spelling errors, and the language used is natural and fits the academic tone required for this task. While the vocabulary is accurate and sufficient, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or synonyms for 'process' or 'stages' could further elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The response exhibits a high level of grammatical control. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively, such as the use of participial phrases ('causing the juice to thicken') and passive voice constructions ('is extracted', 'is purified', 'is transferred'), which are essential for describing processes. The punctuation is accurate, and there are no noticeable grammatical errors. The majority of your sentences are error-free, demonstrating a strong command of English grammar. The flow of the text is natural, and the complexity of the sentence structures is well-suited to the task.

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