Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

As far as this graphic description is concerned, the given diagram illustrates the production procedure to get sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, multiple steps are involved in the making of sugar from the sugar cane. These steps include growing, harvesting, crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifugation and in last drying and cooling to get sugar as a product.

First of all, the sugar canes are grown. It takes around 12 to 18 months for sugar cane to grow. These sugar canes are then harvested by the farmers. Harvested sugar canes are crushed and juice is obtained from them. This juice is poured in a purification plant which has a limestone filter.

After purification, the purified juice is sent to evaporator where it is given heat, transforming into a syrup. Centrifugal force is applied for using centrifuge machine which separates the sugar crystals from the syrup. These crystals are then dried and cooled to obtain sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the full process and gives a clear overview, naming the main stages from growing through to drying and cooling. It also accurately includes the 12–18-month growing period, the limestone filter, heating to form syrup, and the separation of sugar crystals. This gives the reader a sound account of how sugar is produced. However, some details are less fully reported: the diagram shows harvesting by both a mechanical harvester and by hand, whereas the response only says the canes are harvested by farmers. The crushing stage and the final separation could also be described more precisely. Including these visual details and clarifying the sequence would make the account more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a logical sequence, with an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs that follow the production stages. Linking phrases such as “First of all,” “After purification,” and “These crystals are then” help the reader track the process. The overview also usefully previews the stages. Some connections are less precise or slightly mechanical, however: “These steps include…” repeats the sequence rather than highlighting the process’s main features, and “This juice is poured in a purification plant” does not clearly express the transition shown in the diagram. Use more exact references to the material at each stage and vary the linking language to make progression smoother and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “centrifuge,” and “sugar crystals.” These terms help convey the technical stages, and the meaning remains clear. Some choices are awkward or imprecise, such as “graphic description,” “production procedure to get sugar,” and “purification plant”; these are understandable but not natural descriptions of a process diagram. “Centrifugal force is applied for using centrifuge machine” is also unnecessarily wordy and collocationally weak. Aim for concise, conventional process language and use the diagram’s labels where appropriate, such as “juice is filtered” and “the centrifuge separates the crystals from the remaining syrup.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the overview sentence listing stages and the clause “which separates the sugar crystals from the syrup.” Passive forms such as “are grown,” “are harvested,” and “are crushed” suit a process description. Some grammatical errors and awkward constructions remain, though they rarely obscure the meaning. For example, “sent to evaporator” needs an article (“the evaporator”), and “After purification, the purified juice is sent to evaporator” repeats the same idea while omitting that article. The phrase “Centrifugal force is applied for using centrifuge machine” has an unclear grammatical structure and missing articles. Review article use and simplify sentences when the structure becomes difficult to control.

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