Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-03

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 illustrated diagram provides the process of producing sugar from its plant by both human and machinery work. There are total of 7 main steps to get to the final result.

First two steps are usually done naturally without machineries. The first step is to plant the seed and wait for 12 to 18 months to grow. In the next step they have to harvest them. It is their choice to harvest it by human hand or tractor. Moreover, it depends on the amount of sugar cane they plant.

The rest of the steps have to be associated with technical machines in specific food factory. Looking at the picture below the third step, they need to crush the sugar canes and turn it into juice. The juice have to be purified in limestone filter which is the illustration for fourth step. Then, they put the juice in evaporator where juice becomes syrup by heat in the fifth picture.

The sixth step is to isolate the sugar crystals from the syrup. Finally, they cool it down to make it solid enough to put in a plastic bag for markets.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of sugar production from sugar canes, meeting the minimum word count requirement. It presents an overview of the process, noting that there are seven main steps and mentioning both human and mechanical methods of harvesting. However, some aspects of the task are addressed more fully than others. For instance, the explanation of the initial steps is somewhat generalized, stating that 'First two steps are usually done naturally without machineries,' which is not entirely accurate since planting and waiting for growth are biological rather than manual labor. Additionally, certain details from the diagram, such as the specific mention of the limestone filter or the exact function of the evaporator, are touched upon but lack full extension and clearer comparisons or descriptions. To reach a higher band, the response would need to present a more comprehensive and precise overview of all mechanical and physical transformations without relying on conversational asides like 'Looking at the picture below.'

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological sequence that mirrors the stages of the diagram. Information is organized into paragraphs that generally separate the introduction, the initial stages, the industrial processing steps, and the final stages. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the process, such as 'First two steps,' 'In the next step,' 'The rest of the steps,' and 'Finally.' While this demonstrates a clear progression, referencing is occasionally mechanical or less than seamless, such as 'which is the illustration for fourth step' and 'in the fifth picture,' which draws attention to the test format rather than maintaining academic flow. To achieve a higher band, the progression needs to be managed with greater flexibility, avoiding meta-language about pictures and employing more sophisticated referencing and substitution across sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms such as 'harvest,' 'crush,' 'juice,' 'purified,' 'evaporator,' 'syrup,' and 'crystals.' There are, however, notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'machineries' (machinery is uncountable), 'seed' (cuttings or plants are used for sugar cane), and 'in specific food factory' (missing article and imprecise collocation). Spelling and word-choice errors are present but generally do not impede communication. To move to a higher lexical band, the writer needs to demonstrate a more flexible and precise command of less common lexical items, eliminate non-standard plurals and grammatical collocations of words, and ensure greater academic register throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic narrative structures. Sentences such as 'The first step is to plant the seed and wait for 12 to 18 months to grow' and 'The sixth step is to isolate the sugar crystals from the syrup' show that the writer can handle multi-clause structures. However, there are some grammar and punctuation errors, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'The juice have to be purified' instead of 'has,' missing articles ('in limestone filter'), and minor prepositional inconsistencies. These errors occur across the text but rarely impede overall communication. To achieve a higher band, the writer must produce a greater proportion of error-free sentences while utilizing a wider variety of complex grammatical structures with consistent accuracy.

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

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