Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-02

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 diagrams show how sugar is produced from sugar cane. There are seven main stages in the manufacturing process, starting with growing the sugar cane crops and ending with drying and cooling the final product.

First, the sugar canes are grown for a period of about 12 to 18 months. When they are ready, they are harvested either by large machines or manually by farm workers. After harvesting, the canes are put into a crushing machine to extract the raw juice.

Next, this raw juice passes through a limestone filter to become purified. Then, the purified juice is heated over a fire in an evaporator until it turns into a thick syrup. After that, the syrup is placed into a centrifuge, which spins to separate the sugar crystals from the syrup. Finally, the separated sugar crystals are put into a large container where they are dried and cooled to create the final sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by providing a clear and comprehensive summary of the seven-stage manufacturing process for sugar production. The main features are accurately reported, starting from the cultivation phase through harvesting methods, crushing, purification, evaporation, and centrifugation, down to the final drying and cooling. An effective overview is integrated into the opening paragraph, capturing the overall scope of the process. Ideas are well-supported with direct references to the visual data, showing a solid understanding of how sugar cane is transformed into sugar. To reach a higher level, the response could incorporate slightly more comparative or relational detail regarding the dual harvesting methods rather than treating them in a purely sequential manner.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The text demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The writer skillfully divides the process into logical paragraphs, with the introduction outlining the overall scope, the second paragraph covering the initial preparation and extraction phases, and the final paragraph detailing the subsequent refinement steps. Cohesive devices such as 'First', 'After harvesting', 'Next', 'Then', 'After that', and 'Finally' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the sequence of events without feeling overly mechanical. Paragraphing is well-managed, and referencing throughout the text remains clear and consistent, ensuring smooth transitions between each step of the manufacturing cycle.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The response employs a sufficient range of vocabulary with adequate flexibility and precision for a process description. The writer successfully incorporates less common and topic-specific lexical items such as 'manufacturing process', 'cultivation', 'manually', 'extract', 'purified', 'evaporator', and 'centrifuge'. Word choice is generally appropriate and collocation is sound, with terms like 'raw juice', 'sugar crystals', and 'thick syrup' used accurately in context. Minor slips or overly simple phrasing occasionally appear, but they do not impede communication. Incorporating more sophisticated functional verbs or advanced lexical collocations would further enhance this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The writing exhibits a good variety of complex structures and maintains frequent error-free sentences throughout. Control of grammar and punctuation is strong, particularly in the handling of passive voice constructions ('are grown', 'are harvested', 'is placed'), which are essential for describing impersonal industrial processes. Subordinate clauses and temporal markers are integrated smoothly without structural faults. Agreement, article usage, and prepositions within grammatical patterns are handled accurately. The few minor slips present do not affect readability, reflecting a high level of overall grammatical control and sentence variety appropriate for this level.

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