Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-01

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 diagram illustrates the entire manufacturing steps included in the process of making sugar from sugar cane, ranging from cultivation to final project.

Overall, the process has seven main steps. It starts with the natural growth of sugar cane, followed by mechanical or manual harvesting, and apply a series of industrial stages that refine the extracted juice into useable sugar.

First, the sugar cane grows for 12 to 18 months. After that, it is harvested either by hand or using heavy machinery. Next, the harvested cane goes through a crushing machine to squeeze out the sweet juice.

In the fourth step, the squeezed juice goes through a purifying step in which it is purified through limestone filter. After the purification process, juice is then heated into a machine called evaporator, which turns the liquid into a syrup. After this, a centrifuge spins the syrup to separate the sugar crystals from the liquid. Finally these crystals are dried and cooled to produce the final sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of sugar production from sugar cane, from cultivation through to the final cooling phase. An appropriate overview is provided, clearly stating the total number of steps and summarising the transition from natural growth to industrial processing. Key features such as the 12-18 month growing period, dual harvesting methods, and the purification, evaporation, and centrifugation stages are all accurately reported. The ideas are generally well-supported and extended, fitting the criteria well, although some steps like the final drying and cooling are somewhat brief, showing a slight tendency to under-develop minor details compared to the central industrial processes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The overall arrangement of the response mirrors the linear progression of the diagram, moving smoothly from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively, with an introductory paragraph, an overview paragraph, and well-sequenced body paragraphs representing the chronological stages. Cohesive devices are employed with reasonable flexibility, using sequence markers such as 'First', 'After that', 'Next', and 'Finally' to guide the reader through the process. However, some cohesive referencing feels slightly mechanical, which prevents the response from achieving a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms such as 'cultivation', 'mechanical harvester', 'crushing machine', 'purifying', 'evaporator', and 'centrifuge'. There are some attempts to use less common lexical items with awareness of style, but occasional awkward word choices and grammatical forms occur, such as 'manufacturing steps' instead of 'manufacturing stages' and 'final project' instead of 'final product'. Furthermore, minor phrasing errors like 'apply a series of industrial stages' indicate limitations in collocation and flexibility, placing the lexical range securely at the competent level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, displaying good control over the active and passive voice required for process descriptions, as seen in 'it is harvested either by hand' and 'the squeezed juice goes through a purifying step'. There are frequent error-free sentences, which demonstrates solid grammatical control. However, a few persistent errors remain, such as missing articles ('through limestone filter' instead of 'through a limestone filter'), minor prepositional slips ('heated into a machine' instead of 'heated in a machine'), and a slight error in subject-verb agreement ('and apply a series' instead of 'and applying a series'). These errors rarely impede communication, reflecting a strong mid-level performance.

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