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 diagram demostrates the 7 stage process of cultivating sugar from sugar cane

It can be seen that more than a year is required initially for the sugar cane plant to grow. After that, it is cut and transported to the mill where the rest of the steps are carried out. They involve crushing the canes to extract juice and then purifying it. The juice is then coverted into syrup by heating it. Sugar crystals are separated from the syrup befor being cooled to form sugar.

Sugar cane plants require 12 to 18 months before they can be harvested. After the time has elapsed, they are then chopped by hand and gathered by tractors to be transported to the processing facility. The canes then go through a grinder which extracts all the juice from them. This juice is then filtered using a limestone filter to refine it.

A evaporator is then used to heat the juice to transform it into a syrup. The sugar crystallites are removed from the syrup in the penultimate step by the process called centrifuge. These crystallites are then chilled and dryed to form the final sugar product.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers the full sequence and gives a clear overview: cane is grown, processed into juice and syrup, and ultimately becomes sugar. It also includes the key growing period and identifies the limestone filter, heating, and centrifuge, so the main features are accurately selected. However, a few details are not fully faithful to the diagram. It says the canes are “chopped by hand and gathered by tractors,” whereas the visual presents hand and mechanical harvesting as alternative methods, not as consecutive actions. “Transported to the mill” and “processing facility” are plausible but not shown. The final stage is described as chilling and drying, while the diagram labels it “drying and cooling.” More precise reporting of these details would strengthen an otherwise complete account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence, with an overview followed by paragraphs that move from cultivation through processing to the final product. Linking expressions such as “After that,” “The canes then,” and “In the penultimate step” help the reader follow the stages. The overview also groups the process into meaningful phases rather than listing every label. However, the paragraphing could be more purposeful: the second and third body paragraphs divide the later stages without a particularly clear reason, and some references are slightly imprecise, such as “After the time has elapsed,” which makes the transition less direct. A more consistently structured account, with clearer links between each stage and less repetition of the sequence, would make cohesion more flexible and natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “cultivating,” “extract,” “purifying,” “evaporator,” and “centrifuge,” and these choices generally communicate the stages clearly. The response also uses relevant terms such as “limestone filter” and “syrup.” Some word choices are imprecise or less natural for this diagram: “crystallites” is not the usual term here, “grinder” is less exact than “crusher,” and “chilled” does not match the label “cooling” as closely as it could. Spelling slips such as “demostrates,” “coverted,” “befor,” and “dryed” also limit accuracy. More precise process terminology and careful proofreading would show stronger control of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including the overview sentence beginning “It can be seen that…” and the passive construction “Sugar crystals are separated from the syrup.” Most sentences are understandable, and the sequence is expressed with generally appropriate present-tense forms. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain. For example, “A evaporator” needs the article “An,” and “the process called centrifuge” would be more accurately formed as “the process called centrifugation” or “a centrifuge.” The sentence “After the time has elapsed, they are then chopped…” also has an unclear pronoun reference, since “they” could refer to the time rather than the canes. Greater accuracy with articles and clearer sentence references would improve control.

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