Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-23

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 illustrates the process of the manufacturing of sugar from the sugar cane by harvesting, purifying and drying.

Overall, it can be seen that it is a multi-stage linear process, contains seven main stages. It begins with the harvest of sugar cane and concludes with drying and cooling of sugar crystals.

Sugar canes grow slowly, takes around 12 to 18 months. At maturity, it is being harvested by the framers cutting it by hand or through heavy machinary like tracktors. Collected sugar canes then crushed by the industrial machines to extract its juice which is then purified by the limestone filter.

After purification, juice is sent to an evaporator where syrup is formed on a high temperature. The syrup is being centrifuge where the sugar crystals are seperated from the syrp. At last, crystals dried and cooled in larger containors. That dried and cooled crystals forms refined sugar which is ready to use.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers the process from cane growth through to the final drying and cooling stage, and the overview identifies its seven stages and endpoint. It also includes key details such as the 12–18-month growing period, the two harvesting methods, crushing to extract juice, limestone filtration, evaporation and centrifuging. These details are generally accurate and relevant. However, the overview says the process begins with harvesting, whereas the diagram begins with growing; this conflicts with the later description and weakens the summary of the sequence. The final claim that the product is “refined sugar” and “ready to use” is not shown in the diagram. To strengthen the response, keep the overview fully aligned with the visual and avoid adding outcomes that are not provided.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is arranged in a clear sequence, with an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs that follow the production stages. Transitions such as “At maturity,” “After purification” and “At last” help the reader follow the process, and the progression from harvesting to processing is easy to understand. The main weakness is a small inconsistency in the overview: it says the process begins with harvesting, although the next paragraph correctly starts with cane growth. Some links between stages could also be made more precise, particularly the move from syrup to centrifuging. Use consistent sequencing language and ensure each sentence clearly identifies what is being processed at that point.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “manufacturing,” “purified,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator” and “sugar crystals.” These terms make the stages recognisable, and the writer attempts more specific language for the machinery and methods. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, including “framers,” “machinary,” “tracktors,” “seperated” and “containors.” Some expressions are also unnatural, such as “on a high temperature” and “the syrup is being centrifuge.” Choose accurate technical terms and check spelling carefully; more natural collocations would make the description clearer and more fluent without requiring a more complicated vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is some variety in sentence structure, including a relative clause in “juice which is then purified” and a time clause beginning “At maturity.” The sequence remains understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “it is a multi-stage linear process, contains seven main stages” joins two clauses incorrectly, while “Sugar canes grow slowly, takes around 12 to 18 months” has faulty agreement and an unclear subject. Passive forms are also inconsistent: “then crushed” and “crystals dried and cooled” need an auxiliary, and “The syrup is being centrifuge” has an incorrect verb construction. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions and check agreement, articles and sentence boundaries. This would improve reliability while retaining the range already attempted.

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