Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-30

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 process diagram depicts the manufacturing process of producing sugar-cane from sugar.

Overall, the process comprises seven steps namely, growing, harvesting, crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuge, and drying and cooling. The transformation initiates by growing and terminates with drying and cooling step with sugar as the end product.

Transformation begins with the growing step. For about 12 to 18 months of time is given to the first step. Afterwards, harvesting gets started and it can be achieved through two methods either by machine or manual workforce. Following this, crushing commence and it produces juice as the final product. Sebsequently, purification of juice takes place and limestone filter is used in the cone for purification.

Turning to the remaining steps, evaporation process is executed by placing container on the heat. Evaporation converts juice into syrup. After this, centrifuge step is executed where it separates sugar crystals from syrup. Ultimately, drying and cooling process starts in a container and the final product sugar is produced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all seven main stages of the sugar manufacturing process, starting from growing and harvesting through to the final drying and cooling step. An overview is provided at the beginning, identifying the total number of steps and the overall progression from sugar cane to sugar. However, there is a minor confusion in the opening sentence where the student states the process is 'producing sugar-cane from sugar' instead of sugar from sugar cane. The response correctly details the two harvesting methods and the subsequent mechanical and chemical processes, such as crushing, purifying with a limestone filter, evaporation, and centrifuging, making it an accurate summary of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into clear paragraphs, beginning with an introduction and overview, followed by the initial stages and concluding with the final steps of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Afterwards', 'Following this', 'Sebsequently', and 'Turning to the remaining steps' are used to guide the reader through the sequence. However, paragraphing could be slightly better managed by separating the initial agricultural phases from the industrial processing steps. Referencing is generally clear, though minor mechanical transitions slightly detract from the natural flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a process diagram, using terms like 'manufacturing process', 'transformation', 'harvested', 'crushing', 'purification', 'evaporation', and 'centrifuge'. There are some awkward phrasings and word choice errors, notably reversing the source and product in the opening sentence ('producing sugar-cane from sugar') and a misspelling ('Sebsequently'). Less common lexical items are attempted, but occasional inaccuracies in collocation prevent the score from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The process diagram depicts the manufacturing process of producing sugar-cane from sugar' and 'harvesting gets started and it can be achieved through two methods either by machine or manual workforce.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, including 'For about 12 to 18 months of time is given to', 'crushing commence' (subject-verb agreement), and minor prepositional slips. Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and communication is rarely impeded.

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