Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-28

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 schematic diagram elucidates the stages of the production of sugar with the help of sugar cane.

Overall, the process includes seven stages, which begins when sugar canes are grown and comes to an end when it is fully transformed into white sugar.

The first step of manufacturing sugar commences, when sugar canes are grown, which takes almost a year to grow. After that, when they are fully grown, they are harvested with the assistance of a man or a harvesting machine. Thereafter, sugar canes are crushed down into juices.

At the fourth stage, the sugar cane juice is purified through a limestone filter and then the purified juice is passed down to a container in which it is heated on a high flame so that the excess water evaporates and syrup is made from juice. Following this, sugar crystals are separated from this and this process is known as Centrifuge. At the end, the remaining mixture is dried and cooled down which results in sugar being formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the seven main stages of the sugar manufacturing process from sugar cane. An appropriate overview is provided, noting that the process begins with growing and culminates in white sugar production. Key features such as harvesting methods, crushing, juice purification via a limestone filter, evaporation, centrifugation, and final drying/cooling are correctly identified and sequenced. However, the response could be slightly improved by integrating more direct comparisons or grouping certain steps more concisely, but overall it covers the visual data accurately and meets all Band 7 requirements for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The text displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The response is divided into logical paragraphs, moving from an introductory overview to the initial stages and concluding with the final processing steps. Cohesive devices such as 'After that', 'Thereafter', 'At the fourth stage', and 'Following this' are used to guide the reader through the sequence of the diagram. While referencing is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical ('At the end, the remaining mixture...'), placing the response solidly in the Band 7 range.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a process diagram, incorporating subject-specific terms such as 'schematic diagram', 'harvested', 'crushed down', 'limestone filter', 'evaporate', 'syrup', 'crystals', and 'Centrifuge'. There are occasional slight lexical inaccuracies or awkward phrasing, such as 'with the help of sugar cane' instead of 'from sugar cane', and repeating the verb 'grow' ('grow, which takes almost a year to grow'). Nevertheless, the lexical resource is sufficient to convey the information precisely, fitting the Band 6.5 to 7 profile.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and passive structures appropriately for a scientific process description (e.g., 'sugar cane juice is purified', 'sugar crystals are separated'). There are some minor grammatical slips and slightly repetitive phrasing, such as 'when sugar canes are grown, which takes almost a year to grow' and the pronoun reference 'when it is fully transformed' where 'it' is singular referring to plural 'sugar canes'. Despite these minor errors, communication is never impeded, and there are many error-free sentences, warranting a Band 6.5.

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