Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-28

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 given process chart depicts the information about the manufacturing process for making sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, it is crystal clear that there are exactly 7 steps to complete the process. To commence with, the crop of sugar cane is grown for approximately 12 to 18 months. The last step involves drying and cooling the sugar.

At a glance, the initial step is cultivating the crop for approximately 12 to 18 months in a field. In the second step, when the sugar canes are fully grown, they are harvested by hand or by machine. After that, these sugar canes are crushed by machines, while the juice is separated and the waste is removed. In the next step, the juice is purified by using a limestone filter to remove small particles of sugar cane.

Moving ahead, the purified juice is heated in an evaporator because water is removed and the sugar syrup is left behind. In the penultimate step, sugar crystals are separated from the syrup by a centrifuge. In the ultimate step, the sugar is placed for drying and cooled for a few days for proper formation of sugar. Then, the process chart starts from the initial stage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main stages of the sugar production process. You clearly outlined the sequence from cultivation to the final product. However, to reach a higher band, you should focus on making more explicit comparisons or highlighting key features rather than just listing the steps chronologically. For instance, noting that the process involves both mechanical and manual intervention at the harvesting stage, or emphasizing the transformation from raw material to refined product, would add depth. The overview is functional but could be more analytical by summarizing the nature of the process (e.g., a multi-stage industrial cycle) rather than just stating the number of steps.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear progression from the initial cultivation to the final drying stage. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'At a glance', 'Moving ahead', and 'In the penultimate step' to guide the reader through the process. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction/overview from the body of the process. The flow is generally smooth, though the final sentence, 'Then, the process chart starts from the initial stage', is slightly redundant as it is implied by the nature of a cycle and does not add new information to the summary.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using subject-specific terms like 'cultivating', 'harvested', 'purified', 'evaporator', and 'centrifuge'. These terms are used accurately in context. There is some repetition of basic verbs (e.g., 'remove' is used twice in close proximity), and some phrasing is slightly simplistic, such as 'making sugar' or 'placed for drying'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to industrial manufacturing processes to show a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and your punctuation is generally sound. There are minor issues, such as 'depicts the information about the manufacturing process', which is slightly wordy. The sentence 'the sugar is placed for drying and cooled for a few days for proper formation of sugar' is clear but could be more concisely expressed. Overall, your control of grammar is good, and errors are rare and do not impede communication, which is a strong foundation for higher-level writing.

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

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