Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-07
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 diagram illustrates the various stages involved in the production of sugar from sugar cane, showcasing a clear step-by-step progression.
At first glance, it is evident that the entire process composed of seven distinct stages beginning with plantation of sugar cane trees and culminating in drying of sugar crystals.
To commence the process sugarcane saplings are planted and grown for around one year or 18 months period. Following this, they are harvested by two means either machinery or by human labour. Thereafter, sugar cane stems are crushed in a rotating wheel meachine as a result juice is extracted.The next stage involves purification of juice using limestone as a filtrate medium in a funnel.
Afterwards, filtrate is evaporated by heating the juice which givies rise to syrup.Subsequently, this undergoes centrifugation which helps in seperation of sugar cyrstals from the syrup solution. At the end of the process sugar crystals are dried and cooled and stored in large containers which are ready to consume. This circular and systematic process ensures the efficient production of sugar from sugar canes
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response covers the process in a clear sequence and gives a useful overview: it identifies seven stages, from growing sugar cane to drying and cooling the crystals. It also accurately reports the two harvesting methods and the key transformations from juice to syrup and then crystals. This meets the task well, although a few details are either imprecise or added without support. The cane is described as being grown for “around one year or 18 months,” whereas the diagram specifies 12–18 months; “stored in large containers” and “ready to consume” are not shown. For a stronger account, report the stated growing period precisely and avoid adding outcomes absent from the diagram. The main stages are otherwise well selected and explained.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The information is organised logically, with an introduction and overview followed by a chronological account of the stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Following this,” “Thereafter,” “Afterwards,” and “Subsequently” help the reader follow the process, and the progression from harvesting through final treatment is clear. The paragraphing is also appropriate. Some linking is slightly mechanical because many sentences begin with a transition marker, and the final sentence about a “circular and systematic process” is not necessary and may suggest a cycle, although the diagram presents a linear sequence. Cohesion would be more flexible if some links were built into sentence structure and the conclusion simply stated the final stage rather than adding a general claim.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
There is an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “purification,” “evaporated,” “centrifugation,” and “separation,” which helps describe the stages precisely. The writer also uses relevant terms such as “limestone” and “syrup.” However, several spelling errors—“meachine,” “givies,” “seperation,” and “cyrstals”—and some imprecise or awkward choices reduce accuracy. “Plantation of sugar cane trees” is less suitable than describing cane as a crop, while “filtrate” is not the best term for the juice after evaporation. “Rotating wheel” also does not clearly name the crusher. Check spelling carefully and favour standard process collocations; this would make the vocabulary more precise without requiring more elaborate wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including a relative clause in “which helps in separation” and a result structure in “as a result juice is extracted.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are present. For example, “the entire process composed of seven distinct stages” needs a verb (“is composed”), and “for around one year or 18 months period” has an incomplete and awkward time expression. Missing punctuation in “juice is extracted.The next stage” and “syrup.Subsequently” also affects sentence boundaries. Add articles and verbs where needed, and proofread punctuation. More consistently accurate sentence construction would strengthen the range already attempted.
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