Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12

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 chart illustrates the manufacturing process of making sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, the production includes seven main stages, beginning with cultivation, harvesting of sugar canes, crushing, evaporating and ending with drying and cooling of processed sugar.

The process begins with growing of sugar canes for 12 to 18 months then they are harvested either by hand of by harvesting machines. After that the harvested sugar canes are sent to crushers for extracting the juice. Then the juice is purified by limestone filters removing any impurities.

In the next stage the filtered juice is transferred to a heating chamber that evaporates the extrac juice, during this stage the juice become syrup. In the penultimate stage the syrup passes through centrifuge which separates the sugar crystals from the syrup. In the final stage the separated sugar is transferred into a container for drying and cooling this concludes the process of making sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all stages of the sugar production process, from cultivation to the final cooling phase. You have identified the main features and provided a clear overview in the introduction. The information is logically sequenced, following the diagram from start to finish. To reach a higher band, ensure that you explicitly mention the input and output at each stage where possible, and perhaps group the stages more effectively to highlight the transition from raw material to finished product. Overall, the response is accurate and addresses the prompt requirements well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear progression from the beginning to the end of the process. You have used a variety of cohesive devices such as 'After that', 'Then', 'In the next stage', and 'In the final stage' to guide the reader through the steps. Paragraphing is used, though the body of the text could be split into two distinct paragraphs (e.g., pre-processing and processing stages) to improve the visual structure. Referencing is generally clear, and the flow of information is smooth and easy to follow throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for a process description, such as 'cultivation', 'purified', 'evaporates', and 'centrifuge'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'extrac juice' (likely a typo for 'extracted') and 'growing of sugar canes' (which could be more naturally phrased as 'the cultivation of sugar cane'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise technical collocations would elevate the response. The spelling is generally accurate, and the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the process clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'growing of sugar canes' (missing article) and 'harvesting machines. After that the harvested sugar canes are sent to crushers' (punctuation could be improved). The sentence 'during this stage the juice become syrup' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('becomes'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout. To improve, focus on consistent verb tense usage and ensuring articles are used correctly with uncountable nouns like 'sugar' and 'syrup'.

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

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