Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-14

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 7.5)

The diagram illustrates the process of producing sugar from sugar cane. Overall, it is a linear process consisting of seven stages, beginning with the cultivation of sugar cane and ending with the drying and cooling of sugar crystals.

First, sugar cane is grown in fields for a period of 12 to 18 months until it reaches maturity. Once fully grown, the crop is harvested either manually, with workers cutting the stalks by hand, or mechanically using harvesting machinery.

Next, the harvested sugar cane is transported to a crushing machine, where the stalks are pressed to extract the juice. This juice is then purified by passing it through a limestone filter, which removes impurities. After purification, the liquid is heated in an evaporator. During this stage, water is removed from the juice, causing it to thicken and form syrup.

The syrup is subsequently transferred to a centrifuge, a machine that spins rapidly to separate sugar crystals from the remaining liquid. In the final stage, these sugar crystals are dried and cooled in a large container. Once this process is complete, the finished sugar is ready for use.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response covers all parts of the task well by providing a clear and comprehensive summary of the sugar manufacturing process. The student successfully identifies the main features, beginning with the cultivation stage and concluding with the drying and cooling of the crystals. Key steps such as harvesting, crushing, purifying, evaporating, and centrifuging are accurately reported in a logical sequence. The overview sentence in the introduction effectively captures the essence of the diagram by stating it is a seven-stage linear process. No important steps are omitted, and the information is fully supported by the visual data provided in the prompt. This performance fully aligns with the requirements for a Band 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped logically into well-defined paragraphs that reflect the stages of the process, such as the transition from growing and harvesting in the second paragraph to processing in the third. Cohesive devices are used naturally and effectively to guide the reader through the sequence, using phrases like 'First', 'Once fully grown', 'Next', 'After purification', and 'subsequently'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring that each major phase of production is clearly separated and easy to follow. The overall structure is coherent, well-managed, and satisfies all Band 8 descriptors for this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary relevant to a manufacturing process, such as 'cultivation', 'maturity', 'manually', 'mechanically', 'purified', 'evaporator', and 'centrifuge'. Less common lexical items are handled with good awareness of style and collocation, as seen in expressions like 'extract the juice' and 'separate sugar crystals'. While the vocabulary is precise and fits the academic context well, it stops just short of the wide, highly flexible range required for a Band 8.0, containing standard process-description terms rather than sophisticated or idiomatic variations. Spelling and word choice are entirely accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response exhibits a strong control of grammar and punctuation, utilising a wide range of complex structures alongside simple sentences. Examples of complex structures include participial phrases and dependent clauses, such as 'beginning with the cultivation of sugar cane and ending with the drying and cooling' and 'a machine that spins rapidly to separate sugar crystals'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly to separate clauses and items in a list. The minor slips or awkward constructions typical of lower bands are absent here, and the grammatical accuracy is well-maintained from start to finish, comfortably earning a Band 8.0.

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