Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13

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 given bar graph illustrates the value of one country's exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016.

overall, it is clear that the country had highest export in petroleum products and traded low in textiles and agricultural products.

In 2015 the earning from the export of petrolum products was $70 billions which rose by $2billion in 2016. By selling Engineered good in the international market the country colleted $68billions that increase to $70 billions till 2016.

However, Gems and jewellery was the only categoies that dicreased within the the time period in 2015 it raised $52 billions and by 2016 it was $50billions. On the other hand there was no change in agricultural products was constant in both the years it was around $40 billions. In 2015 the country sold $36 billions of textiles goods which jump to $41 billions in 2016 its was the only one that had massive growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the data and provided a clear overview. You included specific figures for all categories, which is essential for Task 1. However, the task instructions specifically mentioned including the 'percentage change' in 2016 compared with 2015. You omitted this requirement entirely, focusing only on the absolute values. To reach a higher band, you must integrate the percentage data provided in the prompt, as this is a key component of the task. Your summary is accurate, but the lack of percentage analysis limits your score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'On the other hand' to signal shifts in the data. However, the paragraphing is slightly disjointed, and the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are a bit repetitive in their structure. Improving the use of linking phrases and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'categories', and 'international market'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'petrolum', 'categoies', 'dicreased', and 'colleted'. These errors are noticeable and detract from the professional tone required for an Academic Task 1 response. To improve, focus on proofreading your work for common spelling mistakes and try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'the country had highest export' (missing article), 'its was the only one' (incorrect pronoun usage), and 'there was no change in agricultural products was constant' (clunky, ungrammatical phrasing). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of your report. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve your accuracy.

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

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