Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-21

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how fabric is manufactured from bamboo.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The diagram illustrates how fabric is manufactured from bamboo.

the first stage begins with, for bamboo fabric, the seeds of bamboo plant are sown in spring. The plant grows using energy and sunlight and harvested in the season of autumn. For further processing, the bamboo woods are subjected to cutting, large woods are chopped into short strips. To obtain liquid pulp, the bamboo strips are crushed by a crusher into significant smaller particles. For purification, the obtained liquid sample is filtered to separate residual long fibers to make fabric.

The long fibers residue obtained after all processing are the soften fibers which will make high quality fabric. The fibers are treated with chemicals by adding water and amine oxide gradually to a long refine thread. The thread is collected and spin into yarn. After this the threads transported to textile industry to weave and make cloths of desired shape, color and quality.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the bamboo manufacturing process, from cultivation to the final textile production. However, the overview is missing; a Band 6 or higher requires a clear summary of the overall process. The description is largely chronological, but some details are slightly inaccurate or confusing, such as the claim that 'bamboo woods' are cut into strips, when the diagram refers to the plant itself. While the main features are identified, the lack of a clear overview and the slight misinterpretation of certain stages prevent a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into two paragraphs, which is a logical approach for a process description. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'For further processing', 'For purification'). The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the transition between the crushing stage and the fiber treatment stage feels abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'The long fibers residue obtained after all processing', which contradicts the previous sentence mentioning the liquid pulp stage. Improved use of linking words would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'significant smaller particles' (should be 'significantly') and 'bamboo woods' (bamboo is a grass). The use of terms like 'soften fibers' and 'long refine thread' shows an attempt to describe the process, but these are not standard technical terms. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the range is limited, and the errors in word choice occasionally draw attention to the language rather than the information.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('the seeds of bamboo plant are sown'), missing articles ('in season of autumn'), and incorrect word forms ('significant smaller' instead of 'significantly'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

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

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