Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-05

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 diagram illustrates the 7-stage production process of sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, the manufacturing process starts with growing of sugar canes which takes around 12-18 months goes through several stages and ends with drying and cooling of sugar. The first stage requires longest time of 12-18 months.

At first, sugar cane is produced in fiels which takes up around 12-18 months. After which sugar cane is harvested in two ways either by machines or by hands. Following harvesting the sugar canes go through crushing which is done by machine extracting the juice from canes. In the next stage, this juice is pourd into limestone filter which refines the juice. Then the purified juice is taken to a evaporator and heated to the point that the juice turns into syrup becoming more densed. Following which the syrup is centrifuged to separate the crystals. Finally sugar is left in container for drying and cooling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview of the process and detailing the main stages from growing to drying and cooling. It meets the requirements of a Band 6 by covering all steps, but some areas are slightly under-developed or repetitive. For instance, the opening mentions the 12-18 month duration, and this point is unnecessarily repeated in the body paragraph ("which takes up around 12-18 months"). While the mechanical and manual harvesting methods are noted, other specific details, such as the two-way split or the exact nature of the centrifuge, could be more fully integrated. To reach a higher level, the response needs to extend and support all features more evenly without repetitive phrasing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and a main body. Information flows logically following the sequence of the diagram. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty due to missing punctuation and repetitive transitional phrases like "Following which" and "After which". Paragraphing is attempted, but grouping all body details into a single dense block limits the clarity of progression. Referencing and logical transition between sentences could be smoothed out with a wider variety of cohesive devices used more naturally to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the basic steps of sugar manufacturing with terms such as "harvested", "crushing", "limestone filter", and "crystals". There are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as "fiels" instead of fields, "pourd" instead of poured, and "densed" instead of dense, which reflect a Band 6 profile. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items like "centrifuged" and "purified", but occasional inaccuracies in word form and spelling prevent the response from achieving a higher lexical band. Paying closer attention to spelling and precise word forms will elevate this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over basic structures. However, it contains several grammatical errors and punctuation issues that place it at a Band 5 to 6 level. There are missing commas after introductory phrases (e.g., "At first,"), missing articles (e.g., "to a evaporator"), and preposition issues. Complex structures attempted often contain errors, such as run-on or awkwardly linked clauses ("process starts with growing of sugar canes which takes around 12-18 months goes through several stages"). To improve, the writer needs to increase the proportion of error-free complex sentences and ensure accurate article and punctuation usage.

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

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