Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-24
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 charts illustrates the products a country exported as well as the percentage change in the price of each category in 2016 compared to 2015. Looking at the data, it is readily apparent that petroleum products are exported in largest quantities which fell dramatically for textiles, also textiles percentage change has surged the highest of all categories of goods.
The engineering goods are accounted second for exporting and earning 65 billion in 2015, which significantly increased to 71 billion, also the price climbed by 3%. Whereas, gems and jewellery exported in 2015 is valued about 51 billion, which decrease marginally by 48 billion in the upcoming year. Additionally, value of these goods reduced by 5.81%.
In contrast, Agricultural products remained almost stable for exporting and percentage change about 1billion and a percent. Whereas, textiles showed steady increase in shipping good. But the price percentage increased effectively by 15% highest of all goods.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data, including the export values and percentage changes. However, the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. For instance, the statement that gems and jewellery decreased 'by 48 billion' is a misinterpretation of the data, as the value changed from 51 to 48 billion, not by 48 billion. Additionally, the description of agricultural products as 'about 1 billion' is vague and lacks precision. While the overview identifies the main trends, the lack of accuracy in reporting specific figures prevents a higher band score. To improve, ensure that data points are read and interpreted with absolute precision.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or misused. For example, the transition 'In contrast' is used to introduce agricultural products, but the subsequent comparison is not clearly linked to the previous paragraph. There are also issues with referencing; the phrase 'these goods' in the second paragraph is slightly ambiguous. The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, making the progression of ideas feel somewhat forced rather than natural. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but there are several instances of awkward collocation and word choice. Phrases like 'are accounted second for exporting' and 'price climbed by 3%' are not standard academic English. The word 'effectively' is used incorrectly to describe the percentage increase. While the student attempts to use a range of vocabulary, the inaccuracies in collocation and the misuse of specific terms limit the effectiveness of the communication. Focusing on learning collocations related to data reporting, such as 'witnessed a rise' or 'experienced a marginal decline', would be highly beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Subject-verb agreement issues are present, such as 'The charts illustrates' and 'textiles percentage change has surged'. There are also punctuation and phrasing errors, such as 'which decrease marginally by 48 billion', where the verb tense and prepositional usage are incorrect. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors is noticeable and occasionally distracts the reader. More attention to basic grammar rules, particularly verb tenses and pluralisation, is required to reach a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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