Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-09
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 illustrates the industrial process of making sugar from sugar cane.
Overall, the production of sugar has a total of seven steps. Commencing with growing the sugar cane, finishing when the sugar is produced and moved to a container to dry and cool.
The first stage of this process is growing the sugar cane which takes about 12 to 18 months to fully grow. After the sugar cane is ready for harvesting, it is usually harvested by a special machinery or by human hand one-by-one. In the following stage, the harvested sugar canes go through a crushing machine to make juice from the sugar cane. After all the juice crushed from the sugar cane, it is ready for to purify using a limestone filter. After purified, the juice goes into an evaporator to make the juice syrup using heat underneath.
The next step is to separate sugar crystals from syrup with the help of centrifuge. Finally, sugar goes into a tank for drying and cooling, then the sugar is produced ready for usage.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all stages of the process, from cultivation to the final product. The overview is clear, identifying the seven-step nature of the process. However, the description of the stages is somewhat mechanical and lacks a more sophisticated synthesis of the information. For instance, the transition between the crushing and purification stages is a bit repetitive in its phrasing. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping related stages more effectively and highlighting the key transformations (e.g., physical changes vs. chemical/heat-based changes) rather than simply listing the steps in chronological order.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized, following the chronological flow of the diagram. Paragraphing is used, though the second paragraph is quite long and could have been split to improve readability. Cohesive devices such as 'The first stage', 'In the following stage', and 'Finally' are used, but they are somewhat repetitive and basic. The flow between sentences is generally clear, but the connection between the purification and evaporation stages could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and phrases would help the response move from a mechanical progression to a more natural, cohesive narrative.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with accurate use of technical terms like 'centrifuge', 'evaporator', and 'limestone filter'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simple verbs like 'make' and 'go'. Phrases such as 'make juice from the sugar cane' and 'make the juice syrup' are repetitive and lack precision. To improve, you should incorporate more varied verbs and nouns related to industrial processes, such as 'extract', 'convert', 'refine', or 'yield', to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'ready for to purify' (should be 'ready to be purified') and 'After purified' (should be 'After being purified'). Additionally, 'by a special machinery' is incorrect as 'machinery' is an uncountable noun. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms. Increasing the use of passive voice—which is essential for process descriptions—would improve both the accuracy and the academic tone of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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