Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-13

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 process diagram illustrates how sugar is produced from sugar cane.

Overall,it can be inferred that the process consists of seven main stages in the production of sugar ,beginning with the growing sugar cane and ending with the drying and cooling of the final product.

To begin with, sugar cane is grown for approximately 12 to 18 months until is it is fully mature. It is then harvested by farmers, either manualy or using a machinery.In the next stage, the harvested sugar cane is crushed by a machine, and then the juice is extracted .In addition, the juice is purified by passing it through a limestone filter.

Following this,the purified juice is then heated in an evaporator,when the water is removed and the liquid become syrup.Subsequently, the syrup is separated into sugar crystals using a centrifuge .In the final stage , the sugar crystals are dried and cooled before the finished sugar is produced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers the process in the correct order and includes the key stages, from growing the cane for 12–18 months to drying and cooling the sugar. The overview clearly identifies the seven-stage sequence and its beginning and end, while the body explains harvesting, crushing, filtration, evaporation and centrifuging. The account is generally accurate; for example, it correctly notes that harvesting can be manual or mechanical and that a limestone filter purifies the juice. To make the description more fully developed, clarify the separation at the centrifuge: it separates sugar crystals from the remaining syrup, rather than simply separating the syrup into crystals. The explanation of evaporation could also state explicitly that heat removes water and turns the juice into syrup.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is organised into a clear introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, and the stages progress logically from cultivation to the finished sugar. Sequencing expressions such as “To begin with,” “In the next stage,” “Following this” and “Subsequently” help guide the reader through the process. The links are generally effective, although several transitions are used in a similar, step-by-step way, so the cohesion can feel somewhat formulaic. Some punctuation spacing also interrupts the flow, as in “Overall,it” and “Following this,the.” Use consistent spacing after commas and vary the way stages are connected—for example, by linking related actions in a sentence—to make progression smoother and less dependent on transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The response uses a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “crushed,” “purified,” “evaporator” and “centrifuge,” and most terms are appropriate to the diagram. Phrases such as “the final product” and “the juice is extracted” also communicate the process clearly. However, some word choices and collocations are imprecise: “using a machinery” is not idiomatic, and “the liquid become syrup” uses an unsuitable form and phrasing. “Manualy” is misspelled, while “finished sugar is produced” is repetitive because production has already been introduced. Greater precision in describing the centrifuge and more natural process collocations would add flexibility and control. Proofreading spelling and avoiding repeated wording would also strengthen the vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a useful mix of simple and complex forms, including the overview clause “beginning with … and ending with …” and the sentence describing the two harvesting methods. Most stages remain understandable, but some grammatical errors persist. In “until is it is fully mature,” the word order is incorrect; “until it is fully mature” is needed. “The liquid become syrup” requires subject–verb agreement (“becomes”), and “when the water is removed” is attached awkwardly to “evaporator.” Articles and punctuation also need attention, as in “using a machinery” and the missing spaces after commas. These errors rarely obscure the meaning, but more consistent control of verb forms, sentence links and punctuation would improve accuracy.

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