Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-27
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 table shows the export earnings of one country in five different categories and their change in percentage of goods from 2015 to 2016.
Overall, all départements saw an increase in percentage of earnings except the gems and jewellery. While, the textile department experienced a significant increase among all, and agricultural products increased by minimal amount.
In 2015, the textile was earning around 26 billions to almost 32 billions in 2016 increased considerably by 15.24%. Engineered goods also experienced a 8.5% growth in export income from roughly 56 billions to about 61 billions in 2016. Same pattern was seen in petroleum products which was increased by 3% in 2016 from approximately 61 billions to 65 billions. Petroleum products earned more than any other category in that year.
The percentage for export earning Agricultural products increased marginally of about 0.81% from roughly 31% to around 33% in a year. On the other hand, Gems and Jewellery was only product which experienced a decreased in earning from almost 41% to 36% that roughly makes 5.18% in the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all categories and provides a clear overview. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For example, you state that agricultural products increased from 'roughly 31% to around 33%', which misinterprets the table's data regarding export values. Additionally, the distinction between percentage change and absolute values is sometimes blurred. While you identify the main trends, the precision required for a higher band is lacking due to these data misinterpretations. To improve, ensure you carefully distinguish between the percentage change figures and the actual monetary values provided in the table.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related information. Cohesive devices such as 'While', 'On the other hand', and 'In 2015' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'While, the textile department experienced a significant increase among all'. The use of cohesive devices is generally effective, but the transition between sentences could be smoother to achieve a more natural progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'export earnings', 'considerably', and 'marginally'. However, there are some word choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'départements' (which is not the standard term for export categories) and 'minimal amount' (which should be 'minimal extent' or 'small margin'). There is also a repetitive use of 'increased' and 'earning'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise synonyms and ensuring that terminology is used accurately in the context of economic data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'the textile was earning around 26 billions to almost 32 billions' (missing 'from' and 'to') and 'which was increased by 3%' (passive voice error). You also struggle with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, for example, 'experienced a decreased in earning'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic tense and prepositional accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.