Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-03
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
below shows the value of one country’s exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The bar chart illustrates the value of one country's exports in various categories during 2015and 2016. It depicts the proportion change in each category of exports in 2016 in comparison with 2015, measured in billions.
Overall, all the categories experienced an upward trend except Gems and Jewellery. Furthermore, all the categories showed a little change whereas Textiles recorded a significant boost.
To begin with, Petroleum products and Agricultural products recorded modest growth which is 3% and 0.81% respectively. By comparison, Engineered goods witnessed increase in exports by 8.5%. In addition to this Textile industry peaked at 15.21% increase in exports overtaking all the categories.
Turning to the remaining categories, the value of gems and jewellery exports declined slightly by 5.18%, making it only category to record a fall.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified the main features and provided some comparisons, the analysis is somewhat superficial. You have correctly highlighted the trends and the outlier (Gems and Jewellery), but the lack of sufficient detail and the failure to reach the minimum length means the task is not fully addressed. To improve, ensure you provide a more comprehensive overview of the data and include more detailed comparisons between the categories to reach the required length and depth.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'To begin with', and 'By comparison' to link your ideas. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, and the paragraphing is basic. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that the relationship between sentences is clearly established throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, such as 'upward trend', 'modest growth', and 'witnessed'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing. For instance, 'proportion change' is slightly awkward; 'percentage change' would be more precise. The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms and collocations related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'marginal', or 'substantial'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are some grammatical errors, such as '2015and' (missing space) and 'making it only category' (missing article 'the'). Additionally, some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'modest growth which is 3% and 0.81% respectively'. While these errors do not impede communication, they demonstrate a lack of full control over complex structures. To improve, focus on proofreading for small errors like missing articles and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistent.
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