Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-20

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 bar chart illustrates the financial worth of different kinds of exporting goods from one country between the period of 2015 and 2016, the table demonstrates the fluctuation in proportions in every single exports category in 2016 compared with 2015.

Overall, it is evident that, in the bar chart. petroleum products recorded highest figure among all the goods, whereas textiles had the lowest. The table shows that, textiles went through most of the fluctuations, while agricultural products experienced least amount of changes.

To begin with, petroleum goods remained relatively stable, starting with $61 billion in 2015 and inclining to approximately $7 billion, while engineered goods experienced a more noticeable increase of 8.5%, growing from roughly $58 billion to just over $62 billion by 2016.

Subsequently, gems and jewellery was the only category that lost its value. I dropped by 5.18%, falling from around $43 billion in 2015 to roughly $40 billion in 2016. Agricultural products had the smallest fluctuation of only 0.18%, meaning it remained stagnant throughout the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, including the highest and lowest categories and the percentage changes. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, you state that petroleum products grew from $61 billion to 'approximately $7 billion', which is a major misreading of the data. Additionally, the overview is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that all figures are transcribed accurately and that the comparison between the bar chart and the table is more integrated. The summary of trends is present, but the factual errors regarding the data points significantly impact the clarity of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific categories. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Subsequently', and 'whereas' are used to guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by the factual errors mentioned in the task achievement section. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure follows the standard format for an IELTS Academic Task 1 report. To improve, ensure that the transition between the bar chart data and the table data is smoother and more analytical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'financial worth', 'fluctuation', 'stagnant', and 'noticeable increase'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'kinds of exporting goods' (should be 'categories of exports') and 'inclining to' (which is not the standard collocation for financial growth). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and noun phrases related to data trends would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'I dropped by 5.18%' (missing subject 'It') and the comma splice in the first paragraph ('...2016, the table demonstrates...'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the general meaning, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. To improve, focus on sentence boundary punctuation and subject-verb agreement. Incorporating a wider variety of complex structures, such as passive voice or relative clauses, would also help demonstrate better control.

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

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