Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-27

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.

Overall, this diagram demonstrates every critical and crucial step in fabric manufacturation from the bamboo. It shows every step from plantation of bamboo till fabric manufacturation.

So the whole process is divided into 9 phases. The first phase is plantation of bamboo plants. It is done in spring season. When the autumn arrives, the bamboo plants are harvested. In the third step it is cut into strips with the help of a blade. In the fourth step liquid pulp is extracted by crushing strips. In the fifth step filtration takes place. By filtration long fibers are separated from the liquid.

In the sixth step fibers are soften by the addition of water and amine oxide. In seventh step yarn is made by spin. In the eighth step weave is done to make the fabric. Then the final ninth step takes place in which clothes are in their final shape.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student successfully covers all nine steps of the bamboo fabric manufacturing process without omitting any key information. The response outlines the sequence from planting in spring through to the final clothing products. However, the overview is repetitive and lacks a concise summary of the overall nature of the process (such as noting that it involves both agricultural and mechanical-chemical stages). Furthermore, the task response is rather mechanical in its progression, listing steps rather than fully integrating and synthesising the data. Because all parts of the visual information are addressed accurately, this falls into Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text is arranged with a clear overall sequence, moving step-by-step from the beginning to the end of the process. Cohesive devices are used, but they tend to be repetitive and mechanical, relying heavily on phrases like 'In the first phase', 'In the third step', and 'In the fourth step'. Paragraphing is also poorly managed; the entire body of the process description is lumped into a single block following the introduction, lacking clear breaks for logical subgroups (such as separating the agricultural phase from the industrial processing). Therefore, the coherence and cohesion reflect Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully employing process-related terms such as 'plantation', 'harvested', 'strips', 'liquid pulp', 'filtration', 'amine oxide', and 'yarn'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'manufacturation' (which is not a standard English word; 'manufacture' or 'manufacturing' should be used), 'soften' instead of 'softened', and 'by spin' or 'weave is done' instead of 'spun' and 'woven'. Due to these recurring word-formation and grammatical-category errors, the lexical resource is graded at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense and word form issues such as 'fibers are soften' (instead of 'softened'), 'In seventh step' (missing an article), and awkward nominalisations like 'by spin' and 'weave is done'. While the meaning remains generally clear and communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of basic errors prevents the response from achieving a higher band, placing it solidly at Band 5.5.

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

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