Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-02

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 manufacturing sugar from sugar cane in seven steps.

Overall, there are seven steps of the whole procedure from growing the sugar cane to finally drying and cooling the sugar produced.

The first step in this process is growing the sugar cane. It takes about 12-18 months for sugar cane to be fully prepared for next steps. The second step is harvesting of sugar cane in which workers cut the sugar cane by hand or it is done by machine. Following that, sugar cane is crushed in a machine to extract it's juice. The next step is purification of the juice which is done in a limestone filter.

After purification, the juice is placed on heat in a drum to evaporate the water and convert it to syrup. And then, the syrup is centrifuged which separates sugar crystals from syrup. Finally after separating the sugar it is placed in a big barrel for cooling and drying.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the full sequence and gives a clear overview, identifying seven stages from growing the cane to drying and cooling the sugar. It also includes key details such as the 12–18-month growing period, the two harvesting methods, limestone filtration and the centrifuge’s separation of crystals from syrup. This gives the account a solid, relevant foundation. Some details are less fully or precisely reported: the final stage is described as placing sugar in a “big barrel,” whereas the diagram shows a cylinder for drying and cooling, and the evaporator is said to remove water, which is a reasonable inference but not explicitly labelled. To strengthen the summary, describe the final equipment neutrally and make the transformation from juice to syrup and then crystals especially clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a logical, chronological order, and the paragraphing separates the overview from the process details. Sequencing expressions such as “The first step,” “Following that,” “After purification” and “Finally” help the reader follow the stages. The progression is clear overall, though the linking is somewhat mechanical because many stages are introduced with similar time-order phrases. The overview also repeats the seven-step sequence without highlighting the process’s main transformation. For a more flexible and cohesive account, group related stages—for example, harvesting through purification, followed by heating and separation—and use references such as “the resulting juice” or “this syrup” to connect sentences without repeatedly naming each step.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for describing this process, with relevant terms including “harvesting,” “crushed,” “purification,” “limestone filter,” “evaporate” and “centrifuged.” These choices make the stages understandable, and the writer attempts some process-specific language. However, several expressions are imprecise or less natural, such as “fully prepared for next steps,” “placed on heat,” and “big barrel.” “Sugar cane” and “sugar canes” are also repeated frequently, limiting flexibility. Aim for more precise process collocations and vary references to the material as it changes from cane to juice, syrup and crystals. The phrase “it's juice” also contains a word-form error: the possessive form should be “its.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including a relative clause in “in which workers cut the sugar cane” and a purpose clause in “to extract its juice.” Most sentences communicate the sequence clearly, and the present tense is generally appropriate for describing a process. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “It takes about 12-18 months for sugar cane to be fully prepared for next steps,” the article “the” is needed before “next steps”; “After purification, the juice is placed on heat” has an awkward prepositional pattern; and “Finally after separating the sugar it is placed…” needs punctuation and a clearer subject reference. Use a wider range of accurately controlled clauses and check articles, prepositions and punctuation.

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