Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11

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)

This diagram illustrates production process of sugar using sugar cane. The procedure begins at farm level from growing sugarcane (the raw material) to manufacturing sugar by using various technical steps.

The initial and most tedious step is to cultivate the crop which takes around an year or above of time on average. When sugarcane is mature enough it is harvested either manually or with motored combined harvester. The produce is then transported to factories where sugar canes are crushed in a machine to make juice which is then transferred to an evaporator after purifying through a limestone filter. Here with the help of constant heat under the evaporator the juice gets converted to syrup that is further centrifuged resulting in separation of sugar crystals from the syrup. The final step is to let the sugar dry and cool down suitable for consumption and packaging. The manufacturing of sugar requires a long time maximum of which is spent in waiting for harvest of next crop.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages of the sugar production process, from cultivation to packaging. However, it lacks a clear overview or summary of the process, which is essential for a high band score in Task 1. The description is generally accurate, but it focuses heavily on the agricultural aspect (growing and harvesting), which occupies a significant portion of the text, while the technical manufacturing stages are described in a single, somewhat dense paragraph. To improve, ensure the overview highlights the cyclical or linear nature of the process and balances the description of the industrial stages more effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is organized logically, following the chronological order of the process. Paragraphing is present, though the division between the introduction and the body is somewhat abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The initial and most tedious step' and 'The final step', which help guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the technical stages more fluidly. The progression of ideas is clear, but the transition between the agricultural phase and the factory processing phase could be more explicitly signaled.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with terms like 'cultivate', 'harvested', 'evaporator', 'purifying', and 'centrifuged' used correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'an year' (should be 'a year') and 'motored combined harvester' (which is slightly awkward; 'mechanical harvester' would be more natural). The range is sufficient to convey the process clearly, but it lacks the more sophisticated, precise terminology that would elevate the response to a higher band. Overall, the vocabulary is adequate for the task requirements.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'an year' instead of 'a year' and 'maximum of which is spent' which is slightly clunky. Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences could benefit from better comma usage to improve readability. While the errors do not impede communication, the range of structures is somewhat limited. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more varied complex sentence forms and ensure greater precision in articles and prepositional phrases.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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