Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-22

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 provided diagram delineates the sequential process of manufacturing sugar from sugar cane. The manufacturing journey comprises seven distinct stages, commencing with the agricultural phase of growing the canes and cumulating in the final industrial output of dried sugar.

Overall, the process is linear and involves a combination of agricultural and industrial steps. It starts with the cultivation and harvesting of the raw material, followed by mechanical extraction, chemical purification, and finally, thermal processing yield the finished product.

Initially, sugar canes are grown, a phase that requires 12 to 18 months to complete. Following this, the mature canes are harvested. The diagram indicates that this can be done either mechanically using large agricultural machinery or manually by workers. Once harvested, the canes processed to the third stage, crushing, where they are pressed in a mill to extract raw juice.

Subsequently, the extracted juice undergoes purification by passing through a limestone filter. The purified juice is then transformed to an evaporator, where it is heated to turn the liquid into a thick sryup. After this, the syrup is placed in a centrifuge, a machine designed to separate sugar crystals from the remaining syrup. In the final two stages, these separated crystals are dried and cooled, ultimately resulting in the final product: sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully covers all seven stages of the sugar manufacturing process, from growing to drying and cooling. An effective overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main features such as the linear nature of the process and the combination of agricultural and industrial steps. Key details, including the duration of the growing phase, the dual harvesting methods (mechanical and manual), and the transformation steps (crushing, purifying, evaporating, centrifuging, and drying), are accurately reported and well-supported by the provided diagram. There are no notable omissions or factual errors, demonstrating a clear understanding of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression from the beginning to the end of the process. Information is grouped coherently into four well-structured paragraphs, featuring an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the sequential steps. Cohesive devices are used naturally and effectively to guide the reader through the stages, such as 'Initially', 'Following this', 'Once harvested', 'Subsequently', and 'In the final two stages'. Paragraphing is utilized appropriately, and referencing throughout the text remains clear and unambiguous.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic process description, incorporating terms such as 'delineates', 'agricultural phase', 'cultivation', 'mechanical extraction', and 'thermal processing'. Less common lexical items are used with good awareness of style and collocation (e.g., 'raw material', 'sugar crystals'). There is a minor spelling slip ('sryup' instead of 'syrup') and a slight grammatical collocation slip in the overview ('processing yield' instead of 'processing yielding'), but these are isolated and do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writer employs a wide range of complex sentence structures with a high degree of accuracy. Examples include participial phrases ('commencing with... and cumulating in...') and subordinate clauses ('where they are pressed', 'which is heated'). The majority of sentences are completely error-free. Grammatical control is strong throughout, with appropriate punctuation and tense consistency used to describe a standard industrial process. Minor errors, such as the missing auxiliary verb in 'the canes processed to the third stage', are very occasional and do not detract from the overall high quality of grammar.

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