Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-21

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 manufacturing of sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, the process consists of seven consecutive steps, starting from the growth of the crops and ending at the drying and cooling to get sugar.

First, the sugar canes were grown and are allowed to ripe for 12-18 months, right after that the crops are harvested either by the farmers or through harvesting machines. These sugar canes crushed in a crushing machine to obtain the juice. After that, the juice undergone the process of purification with the help of limestone filter.

Afterwards, an evaporator is used to heat the juice to make syrup from it. The second last step is called centrifugation, this process separates the sugar crystals from the syrup when the centrifuge machine spins the liquid properly. Then came the last and most important step in which the crystals collected from the syrup being dried and cooled to get the natural sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all stages of the process, from growth to the final product. The overview is clear and identifies the seven-step nature of the process. However, the report lacks a clear comparison or a more detailed synthesis of the stages. While the main features are reported, the description is somewhat linear and could benefit from grouping related stages (e.g., preparation, extraction, and refinement) to better highlight the process flow. The information is accurate, but the development of the 'main features' is slightly basic, which prevents it from reaching the higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction and a chronological progression through the steps. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the stages of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'First', 'After that', 'Afterwards', and 'The second last step' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions could be more sophisticated. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the final steps could be smoother to improve the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with relevant technical terms such as 'harvested', 'crushing', 'purification', 'evaporator', and 'centrifugation'. There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary, though the range is somewhat limited. There are minor issues with word choice, such as 'allowed to ripe' (should be 'ripen') and 'the juice undergone' (should be 'undergoes'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over verb forms and word classes to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical inaccuracies that affect the quality of the writing. For example, 'These sugar canes crushed' is missing a passive auxiliary ('are crushed'), and 'the juice undergone' is grammatically incorrect. The tense usage is inconsistent, switching between past and present ('were grown', 'are allowed', 'came'). To improve, ensure consistent use of the present tense for describing processes and check for necessary passive voice constructions, which are essential for describing manufacturing cycles.

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

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