Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The flow chart illustrates the stages from the growth of the sugar cane till the formation of sugar.

Overall, the flow chart shows the seven stages of manufacturing of sugar from sugar cane that involves growing, harvesting, crushing, purifying juice, evaporator, centrifuge and then drying and cooling.

The first stage, growing takes 12 to 18 months for the growth of sugar cane. After that, through manual or machinary farmers harvest grown sugar canes from the fields. Then the next step, requires the crushing of sugar cane in machine through which sugar cane is crushed to produce juice. Then that juice is purified in the fourth step through limestone filter removing all the impurities.

In the next step, by heating the juice in evaporator, the juice becomes syrup which is then put into centrifuge for futher process in which sugar crystals are separated from syrup. in last stage , drying and cooling of the sugar takes place and through this way sugar is formed by processing sugarcane .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of the sugar manufacturing process from start to finish, fulfilling the requirements for a Band six point five. The overview correctly identifies the seven distinct steps depicted in the diagram, and the student manages to mention key processes such as growing, harvesting, crushing, purifying, evaporating, centrifuging, and drying. However, some aspects of the process are somewhat under-developed or lack fine detail. For instance, the two methods of harvesting (manual versus mechanical) are mentioned in passing rather than fully integrated into the narrative flow, and the explanation of the centrifuge stage could be expanded to better explain how crystals are separated from syrup. To reach the next band, the response should provide a more thorough and evenly developed description of all secondary steps without relying on superficial listing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The writing demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear chronological progression from the initial growth of the sugar cane to the final cooling and drying stage. The student successfully structures the response into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow the timeline of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'After that', 'Then', and 'In the next step' are used to guide the reader through the sequential stages, though they occasionally feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, and paragraphing is appropriately utilized to separate the introduction and overview from the detailed body description. To achieve a higher band, the student should employ a wider and more sophisticated variety of transition signals and cohesive phrasing to ensure the flow between sentences feels completely natural and seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terminology such as 'manufacturing', 'crushing', 'limestone filter', 'evaporator', 'syrup', and 'sugar crystals'. There are also commendable attempts to use less common vocabulary items and descriptive phrases. However, the vocabulary control shows some minor inaccuracies in word choice, form, and spelling, such as 'machinary' instead of machinery, 'futher' instead of further, and 'in last stage' with a missing article. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the score from rising further. To reach the next lexical level, the writer needs to eliminate spelling mistakes and incorporate more sophisticated lexical chunks and precise collocations to describe industrial processes with greater stylistic polish.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic narrative structures and temporal clauses, such as 'The flow chart illustrates the stages from the growth of the sugar cane till the formation of sugar.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation present throughout the text, including minor preposition and article inaccuracies, as well as a comma splice in the final sentence ('in last stage , drying and cooling...'). Despite these occasional flaws, the majority of simple sentences are accurate, and the grammatical errors rarely impede overall communication. To move up to the next band, the writer must display a wider variety of complex sentence structures used with greater accuracy and cleaner punctuation control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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