Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-20

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 6.0)

The making of sugar, as product, from sugar cane is illustrated in the figure through 7 steps. Firstly, the sugar canes are grown for around 12 to 18 months prior to harvesting. After harvesting, they are processed by being crushed to juice using a crushing machine. In the fourth step, the juice is purified. A limestone filter as per the process diagram is equipped for the purifying process. Then purified juice goes through three more steps. It is converted to syrup by the process of heating, using a evaporator. The syrup is then placed in a centrifugal machine at the 6th step, This step creates sugar crystals as product from the syrup which is fed. Finally, at the 7th and last step, the sugar crystals are dried as well as cooled by storing them in a container. The final product that comes out is purified sugar from sugar canes which are field grown.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the main sequence from growing through to drying and cooling, and correctly include the 12–18-month growing period, limestone filtration, heating, and the centrifuge’s role in producing crystals. However, the account is mostly a stage-by-stage description rather than a clear summary of the process as a whole. An overview identifying the transformation from cane to sugar and the main stages would make the key features more explicit. Some details are also unclear or inaccurate: the final sugar is described as “purified,” which the diagram does not state, and drying and cooling are not shown as occurring by storing the crystals in a container. The two harvesting methods—mechanical and manual—are omitted. These gaps and imprecisions limit how fully the diagram is reported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “Then,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. The response also groups related information into a continuous account. However, cohesion relies heavily on these basic transitions, and the paragraph would be easier to scan if it were divided into an introduction and overview followed by the process details. Some links are awkward or unclear: “Then purified juice goes through three more steps” is followed by a description that does not clearly distinguish the later stages, while “This step” requires the reader to infer its reference. A more explicit overview and clearer links between the stages would improve progression and referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “crushing machine,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “syrup,” and “sugar crystals,” which allows the reader to understand the production stages. There is also some attempt to vary wording, for example “processed” and “converted.” However, several choices are awkward or imprecise for a process description: “as product,” “equipped for the purifying process,” and “the syrup which is fed” do not sound natural in context. “Centrifugal machine” is less precise than the diagram’s “centrifuge,” and “purified sugar” adds a quality not shown. Aim for accurate process collocations and avoid adding unsupported descriptions; this will make the vocabulary more natural and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mixture of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the time clause “grown for around 12 to 18 months prior to harvesting” and the passive construction “is illustrated.” Most sentences communicate the sequence clearly, so grammatical errors rarely obstruct meaning. Some errors and awkward constructions remain, however. In “using a evaporator,” the article should be “an”; “which is fed” does not fit clearly with its antecedent, and the sentence about the centrifuge contains an unnecessary double space after the comma. The opening phrase “as product” also creates an incomplete grammatical relationship. Check articles, punctuation, and clause references, and use passive forms consistently when describing how each stage is carried out.

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.