Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-02

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)

There are nine main stages. In which starting with the planting of bamboo in spring and ending with the clothes production.

Firstly, bamboo plants are grown in spring and harvested in autumn. The harvested bamboo is cut into small stripes. This stripes are crushed into liquid pulp. Next the pulp is filtered to separate long fibers from the liquid. After that the fibers are softened by adding water and amine oxide. Once the fibers have been softened than it spin and make yarn. The yarn is weave to make fabric. Finally, this fabric is used to make clothes.

Overall, the process moves from growing and harvesting bamboo to breaking it down into fibers and turning this fibers into yarn and then yarn into fabric. Ultimately, this process shown how to made up bamboo clothes from bamboo plants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers most stages of the bamboo manufacturing process, beginning with planting and harvesting and ending with clothing production. However, it fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 137 words, which restricts the depth of the overview and reporting. While the main features are touched upon, the lack of full development keeps the score at this level. To reach a higher band, the response would need to be longer, ensuring all steps are fully described with a more comprehensive overview of the entire linear sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical sequence from the beginning to the end of the process. Paragraphing is attempted, with an introduction, body, and overall summary. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the reliance on sequential transition words ('Firstly', 'Next', 'After that', 'Finally'). Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as 'this fabric' and 'this process shown how to made up'. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure smoother transitions between sentences without over-relying on basic sequencing words.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to describe the process, featuring correct terms such as 'harvested', 'liquid pulp', 'filtered', and 'yarn'. However, there are noticeable lexical and spelling errors that detract from the quality, such as 'stripes' instead of 'strips', 'fibers' (American spelling used inconsistently), and awkward phrasing like 'made up bamboo clothes'. Word choice is sometimes basic. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to incorporate a wider range of less common vocabulary with greater accuracy in word form, spelling, and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing shows a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic passive voice constructions. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as fragment sentences ('In which starting with...'), plural agreement issues ('This stripes'), verb form mistakes ('it spin and make', 'The yarn is weave'), and awkward infinitive structures ('how to made up'). These errors can cause occasional difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer must demonstrate better control over complex grammatical structures, verb inflections, and subject-verb agreement.

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

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