Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The provided process diagram demonstrates the visual representation of sugar production from raw sugarcane.

A glance at the diagram reveals that this linear process occurs naturally in the first-half, followed by man-made manufacturing afterwards in seven varying stages, beginning with the growth of plant in a natural habitat, and ending with the drying and cooling the prepared sugar for household and comercial uses.

At first, the crop of sugarcane grows naturally in the fields for 12 to 18 months under optimum conditions, after which it is harvested either mechanically using the thresher or manually by farmers using cutters. Subsequent to this, the harvested sugarcane is crushed through the crusher and a bulk of raw juice is collected in a giant container.

In the second half of the process, the raw juice is passed through a limestone filter to extract the purified juice, which is then moved to the evaporator to make syrup using heating, and centrifuge the extracted syrup to separate the sugar crystals from the rest of the mixture. At last, the crystals are dried and cooled to prepare the sugar particles we use for our daily life consumption.

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 sugar production from sugar cane, from growing to drying and cooling. It provides a clear overall summary of the process in the introduction. However, some aspects are slightly under-developed; for instance, the description of the harvesting phase could have elaborated more on the dual methods depicted (mechanical versus manual), and minor details such as the specific role of the limestone filter or evaporator are somewhat generalised. The information presented is accurate and directly follows the visual data provided, balancing a clear overview with relevant key features, thereby reflecting the characteristics of a solid performance for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression throughout the text. It is divided into logical paragraphs, with an introduction that outlines the process structure and body paragraphs that follow the chronological steps of manufacturing. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the stages, such as 'At first', 'Subsequent to this', 'In the second half', and 'At last'. However, a few cohesive links feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, and referencing could be smoother in places, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Overall, the information flows reasonably well from beginning to end without causing confusion for the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms such as 'sugarcane', 'harvested', 'crushed', 'limestone filter', 'evaporator', and 'centrifuge'. There are commendable attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'optimum conditions', 'man-made manufacturing', and 'commercial uses'. However, there are some minor word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'comercial' instead of 'commercial', and awkward phrasing like 'growth of plant' missing an article. These errors do not impede communication, and the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features of the diagram clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and participial phrases such as 'beginning with the growth of plant...' and 'which is then moved to the evaporator...'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('growth of plant', 'use for our daily life consumption') and slight prepositional awkwardness. Nonetheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the sequence of the process. The sentence structures show adequate control, balancing compound and complex sentences throughout the response.

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