Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-06

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 7.0)

The process diagram illustrates how sugar is produced from sugar cane.

Overall, it is a linear 7 step process. The process begins with growing sugar canes and then harvesting them after several months. These harvested sugar canes undergo multiple manufacturing steps to form sugar crystals which are then dried and cooled.

The process begins with the planatation of sugar canes. It takes 12 to 18 months for the sugar canes to grow. Once fully grown, these sugar canes are harvested either by farmers or with the help of machines. Farmers use a sharp metal tool to cut the sugar canes. After harvesting, sugar canes are then crushed using a machine and the resulting juice is collected.

This juice is then purified by passing it through a filter funnel lined with limestone filter. The purified juice in then heated in a evaporator to transform the juice into syrup. After that, the syrup is passed through a centrifuge. This is used to separate the sugar crystals from the syrup. Finally these separated crystals are dried and cooled in a containner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting the main stages of the sugar cane manufacturing process. The progression is well-mapped out, covering the journey from the initial growth period of 12 to 18 months, through harvesting, crushing, purifying, evaporating, and centrifuging, down to the final drying and cooling stage. The student manages to accurately highlight the key features of the diagram, such as the two methods of harvesting and the use of the limestone filter and centrifuge. However, to achieve an even higher band, some minor details could have been slightly more extended or integrated, avoiding a slight tendency to recount steps in a more mechanical sequence rather than synthesizing them fluidly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the response. The text is divided into appropriate paragraphs, starting with an introductory sentence and an overall summary paragraph, followed by logical body paragraphs detailing the physical and chemical phases of production. Cohesive devices such as 'The process begins with', 'Once fully grown', 'After harvesting', and 'Finally' are used effectively to guide the reader through the stages. While the progression is clear and easy to follow, occasional transitions feel slightly formulaic, which prevents the essay from displaying the more flexible and sophisticated cohesion characteristic of the highest band levels.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms like 'manufacturing steps', 'sugar crystals', 'harvested', 'crushed', 'purified', and 'centrifuge'. There are also successful attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'plantation' and 'evaporator'. However, there are a few minor lexical and spelling errors that prevent a higher score, such as the spelling slip 'planatation' instead of 'plantation', 'in then heated' where 'is' was intended, and 'containner' with a double 'n'. Word choices are mostly functional rather than precise, showing some awareness of style but lacking the flexible, sophisticated control seen at higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a good control of grammar and punctuation, featuring a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. There are frequent error-free sentences, such as 'It takes 12 to 18 months for the sugar canes to grow' and 'This juice is then purified by passing it through a filter funnel'. Verb tenses are handled well overall for a present-tense process description. Good control is also shown in passive constructions like 'are harvested' and 'are then crushed'. Nevertheless, a few minor slips persist, such as the article/preposition slip in 'in an evaporator' (written as 'a evaporator') and minor agreement or prepositional lapses, keeping the work firmly at this level.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.