Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-12

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 7.0)

This lineal diagram illustrates how sugar is made using sugar cane via seven different stages. The process involves various machines and containers as well as manual labour.

Initially, the sugar cane plant is grown in a field for between a year and a year and a half before being harvested by manual labour and machinery to make sugar cane.

Following this, several sugar canes are crushed by a machine to make juice which is then purified using a limestone filter at the fourth stage. Once filtered, the juice is added to an evaporating machine which turns the juice into a syrup using heat to boil the juice.

At the penultimate stage, the syrup is centrifuged which involves separating sugar crystals from the syrup.

After this, the final stage sees the sugar crystals be stored in a large dry container where they will be dried off and cool off, subsequently becoming sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student successfully covers all stages of the sugar cane manufacturing process, from growing and harvesting through crushing, purifying, evaporating, and centrifuging, to the final drying and cooling. Key features are accurately reported and sequenced logically. For example, the student notes that harvesting is done by 'manual labour and machinery' and correctly details the use of a 'limestone filter' and an 'evaporating machine'. The overview provided in the opening paragraph successfully highlights that the process involves 'seven different stages' and uses various equipment. The response meets all core requirements for Task Achievement, presenting a clear and comprehensive summary of the visual data without missing major steps.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is well-organized with a clear logical progression that guides the reader through the sequential stages of the diagram. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction from the body details. Cohesive devices and transitional phrases are employed effectively to connect the steps, such as 'Initially', 'Following this', 'Once filtered', and 'At the penultimate stage'. Referencing is generally clear, linking pronouns and phrases back to the correct subjects like 'the juice' and 'the syrup'. While the cohesion is slightly mechanical in places, the overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow, supporting a clear flow of information from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for this task. Less common process-specific terms are attempted successfully, such as 'penultimate', 'centrifuged', 'purified', and 'crystals'. Collocations and word choices are mostly accurate, as seen in 'crushed by a machine' and 'separating sugar crystals from the syrup'. There are occasional slight awkwardnesses, such as 'lineal diagram' instead of 'linear diagram', but these minor errors do not impede communication. The vocabulary deployed is sufficient to describe the technical steps and features with acceptable precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and passive constructions which are vital for process descriptions (e.g., 'juice which is then purified using a limestone filter' and 'the sugar crystals be stored'). Control over grammar is generally good, and punctuation is handled well. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as the tense usage in 'the sugar crystals be stored' (which should be 'are stored'). However, the majority of sentences are grammatically sound, and the occasional errors do not interfere with the clarity of the process explanation.

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