Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-09

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 figure illustrates the process of making sugar from sugar cane. Overall, the juice from sugar cane is evaporated into a syrup, followed by the separation of sugar crystals from this syrup, which are then stored as sugar.

The growing period of sugar cane is 12 to 18 months, after which it is harvested either by hand or by the use of a machanical harvester. The harvested sugar cane is crushed through a machine, to get its juice. This juice is then filtered by a limestone filter to remove any impurities.

The purified juice is heated in an evaporater to convert it into the syrup. The syrup is then passed through a centrifuge, to get the sugar crystals separated from the syrup. The sugar is then stored in a container for drying and cooling. As a result, the whole process is time taking, from sowing sugar cane to its harvesting and then conversion of its juice into sugar for further usage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the main stages in the correct order, including the 12–18-month growing period, the two harvesting methods, crushing, limestone filtration, evaporation and centrifuging. The opening overview identifies the conversion of juice into syrup and the separation of sugar crystals, giving the reader a clear sense of the process. Some details are less fully or precisely reported: the final stage is drying and cooling, but the response says the sugar is “stored in a container for drying and cooling,” which changes what the diagram shows. The concluding claim that the process is “time taking” and involves “further usage” is not supported by the diagram. A more complete overview and closer attention to the final stage would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by the growing and processing stages, then a concluding sentence. Linking expressions such as “after which,” “This juice is then,” and “The purified juice” help show how one stage leads to the next. This gives the report an overall coherent progression. However, the final sentence about the process being time-consuming and sugar’s further use interrupts the otherwise focused description, and some links are slightly mechanical through repeated use of “then.” The overview could also distinguish the initial growing and harvesting stages from the later conversion stages more explicitly. More varied but precise transitions, alongside a conclusion that summarises the process rather than adding an unsupported comment, would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “crushed,” “filtered,” “evaporated,” and “centrifuge,” and these terms make the stages understandable. It also attempts more specific language such as “limestone filter” and “sugar crystals.” Some word choices and spelling errors reduce precision: “machanical” and “evaporater” are misspelled, while “stored” does not accurately describe the diagram’s drying and cooling stage. “Time taking” is an unnatural expression in this context, and “get its juice” is less precise than a process-focused alternative. These issues do not prevent understanding, but careful spelling and more natural collocations would make the description clearer and more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a useful mix of simple and complex forms. For example, “Overall, the juice from sugar cane is evaporated into a syrup, followed by the separation…” uses a passive construction, while “after which it is harvested either by hand or by the use of…” combines stages in a complex sentence. Most of the process remains easy to follow. Some grammatical and punctuation choices are less controlled: the comma in “crushed through a machine, to get its juice” is unnecessary, and the comma before “to get the sugar crystals separated” similarly interrupts the sentence. The final sentence also combines several ideas in a somewhat awkward structure. Using concise passive clauses consistently and checking punctuation around infinitive phrases would improve accuracy while preserving the range already shown.

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