Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-12

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 6.0)

The illustration below shows a country's exports across various categories for 2015 and 2016.

The overall view of the bar chart shows that in the year 2015, the highest bar is Petroleum products and the lowest bar is Textiles. In 2016, the highest was Petroleum products and the lowest was Textiles.

In 2015, petroleum products maintained a rise of approximately 80%, Engineered goods was 60%, Germs and jewelry was two-thirds of Petroleum products. Agricultural products was half of engineering goods and Textiles was lowest with the percentage slightly above 30%.

However, by 2016 the percentage of petroleum products raised slightly above 80%, Engineered goods increased above 80%, Gems and jewelry decreased a bit above 50%, agricultural products raised above 40%, and lastly Textiles significantly increased above 40%.

In summary, between 2015 to 2016, petroleum products climbed by 3%, 8.5% increase in engineered goods. Gems and jewelry declined to 5.18%, Agricultural products rose by 0.81% and Textiles surged by 15.24% in values.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the export categories in 2015 and 2016 and including the percentage changes. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing figures rather than synthesizing trends. For instance, the description of 2015 data is repetitive, and the comparison between years could be more analytical. While the key features are present, the report lacks a clear, cohesive overview that highlights the most significant shifts (e.g., the contrast between the growth in Textiles and the decline in Gems and jewelry). The summary paragraph is helpful but could be better integrated into the body of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. There is a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each year, and a summary. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic and occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'In 2015', 'In 2016', 'However, by 2016'). The transition between the description of the data and the summary of percentage changes is functional but could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall flow feels a bit disjointed due to the reliance on simple sentence structures and repetitive introductory phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'maintained a rise', 'surged', and 'declined' used appropriately. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'Germs and jewelry' instead of 'Gems and jewelry' and the misuse of 'raised' instead of 'rose' or 'increased'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. The repetition of 'highest bar' and 'lowest bar' also limits the lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and tense consistency. For example, 'petroleum products raised' should be 'petroleum products rose', and 'Engineered goods was' should be 'Engineered goods were' (plural subject). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. More attention to subject-verb agreement and correct verb tense usage is needed.

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

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