Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-15

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 process for producing sugar from sugar canes where sugar has be gone through different stage of process.

Overall, there are seven stages of manufacturing process where first three stages for to make the juice from sugar canes and rest of stages are to produce dry sugar by evaporating the juice.

Initially, sugar canes needs 12 to 18 months to grow enough for harvesting and there are two types of harvesting process, using tractor or human may manually cut them. After harvesting, sugar canes need to be washed throughly and cut of all the leaves. Then the sugar canes go through the crushing stage using a heavy pressure machine to make juice from all canes.

Furthermore, liquid sugar juice purify by using limestone filter. Now the juice become fully ready to go through evaporating stage where heat produces underneath of the evaporator and juice turned into the syrup. Nevertheless, centrifuge stage separates sugar crystals from syrup and finally, after drying and cooling we find sugar that is ready for use.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all seven main stages of the sugar manufacturing process, from growing to drying and cooling, and makes relevant mentions of methods such as manual and mechanical harvesting, crushing, purifying with limestone, evaporating, and centrifuging. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, outlining the division between juice extraction and syrup/sugar production. However, there are minor inaccuracies and omissions regarding the visual data, such as inventing the detail that sugar canes need to be washed thoroughly and that leaves are cut off, which are not depicted in the diagram. Furthermore, the progression could be slightly more structured with clearer comparisons. Therefore, it satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 6.0 due to unsupported details.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that mirror the stages of the diagram. Cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'Initially', 'After harvesting', 'Then', 'Furthermore', and 'finally'. However, referencing and transitions are at times awkward or mechanical, as seen in phrases like 'where first three stages for to make the juice' and 'heat produces underneath of the evaporator'. Paragraphing is generally appropriate, but the overall progression lacks seamless flow. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student attempts less common vocabulary associated with industrial processes, such as 'manufacturing process', 'evaporating', 'centrifuge', and 'limestone filter'. However, there are frequent lexical and collocation errors, such as 'sugar has be gone through different stage' (grammatical form error bleeding into word choice), 'liquid sugar juice purify', 'heat produces underneath', and 'juice turned into the syrup'. Spelling errors such as 'throughly' instead of thoroughly also occur. While the range is adequate to convey the basic steps, the lack of precision and awkward phrasing limit the score to a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and temporal clauses (e.g., 'where first three stages for to make the juice', 'sugar canes needs 12 to 18 months to grow'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring frequent errors such as subject-verb agreement issues ('sugar canes needs', 'liquid sugar juice purify'), incorrect passive voice formations ('juice turned into the syrup'), and preposition errors ('produces underneath of the evaporator'). These errors occasionally cause strain for the reader, placing the grammar performance firmly at a Band 5.5.

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