Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-17

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 pictures below depict the linear process of sugar manufacturing from sugar cane.

Overall, the process starts from cultivation of sugar cane before it is harvested and for the further process like crushing and evaporating , which helps converting the raw sugarcane into sugar ready to be consumed .

The process first begin with the growing of sugar canes, which typically takes 12-18 months to fully grow and mature. Once it is fully matured , it is harvested through machines and hands before sending to next stage. In this stage, a machine crushes the harvested sugar canes to extract juice and those extracted juice transferred into the limestone filter for the purification. The next step is evaporation, where purified juice are placed into high temperature heat in a container that helps juice to convert into syrup, subsequently followed by the centrifuging process. This centrifuging process helps to separate sugar crystals from the sugar. Once syrups becomes the crystals, it is transferred for the next step which is about drying and cooling those crystals before it is sent for the consumption.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages in the correct order, from growing the cane for 12–18 months through harvesting, crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuging, and drying and cooling. The overview identifies the process as linear and notes the transformation towards consumable sugar, while the body includes relevant details such as the limestone filter and the syrup stage. This is a solid account of the diagram. Some details are less fully or precisely reported: harvesting is shown as two methods, mechanical and manual, but “through machines and hands” is vague; and the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from syrup, rather than turning syrup into crystals as your final explanation suggests. A more precise overview and clearer description of this separation would strengthen the response further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and a chronological account of the stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Once,” “The next step,” and “subsequently” help the reader follow the process, and the stages are generally presented in the right order. This gives the report coherent progression. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, particularly “before sending to next stage” and “Once syrups becomes the crystals,” where the reference and relationship between stages are difficult to follow. The overview also combines several stages in one sentence rather than highlighting the process’s main phases cleanly. Use more precise references and divide the sequence into clearer groups to make cohesion more flexible and effortless.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “cultivation,” “extract,” “purification,” “evaporation,” and “centrifuging,” which helps describe the diagram beyond basic terms. Some less common choices are attempted, but several are imprecise or awkward in context: “harvested through machines and hands” does not naturally describe the two methods, and “placed into high temperature heat” is an unsuitable collocation. “Sugar manufacturing” and “sugar production” are more natural than repeatedly referring to “the further process.” These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the general sequence, but greater precision and more natural collocations would improve the report. Prefer the diagram’s concrete terms, such as “mechanically or by hand” and “heated in an evaporator.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including time clauses (“Once it is fully matured”) and a relative clause (“which typically takes 12-18 months”). The sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur and occasionally make relationships unclear. Examples include “The process first begin” (subject–verb agreement), “those extracted juice transferred” (plural agreement and missing auxiliary), and “purified juice are placed” (agreement). The final sentence, “Once syrups becomes the crystals,” also has agreement and tense problems. There are punctuation and spacing slips, such as spaces before commas and the full stop in the overview. Check agreement and verb forms, and use passive constructions consistently when describing stages: for example, “the juice is purified” and “the crystals are dried and cooled.”

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.