Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01

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 5.0)

The bar graph illustrates the export of one country between 2015 to 2016.

It includes 5 different categories. They were named as: petroleum, engineering, agricultural and textiles.

Overall, the percentage of 4 products were increased over the period ;however, only gem and jewellery was decreased. Exports were steady rose in year 2016.

Both Petroleum products and Engineered goods were rapidly increasing. In year 2016, petroleum was recorded as 8.5% and Engineered as 3% respectively. Despite in year 2015, they were 70 ions and 65 ions respectively.

A small increased in agricultural products was also observed in year 2016 and it was 0.81%. Whereas, an upward trajectory was shown in textiles industry 15.24%. In 2015, only about 35 ions.

From 2015 to 2016, a minimal decline was occurred in gems and jewellery. 5.18% was decreased in 2016. while it was higher in 2015. It was around 55 ions in 2016. and approximately 50 ions in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the data, but there are significant issues with accuracy and clarity. The student attempts to report figures for both 2015 and 2016, but the data interpretation is inconsistent and often contradictory (e.g., stating petroleum was 8.5% while also mentioning '70 ions'). The distinction between the absolute values and the percentage change is blurred, which leads to confusion. While the overview identifies the general trend of growth, the supporting details are not accurately extracted from the source material, which limits the effectiveness of the summary.

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 often mechanical or inaccurate, such as the misuse of 'Despite in year 2015' and 'Whereas, an upward trajectory was shown in textiles industry 15.24%'. The logical progression between sentences is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and unclear referencing. While the overall arrangement is coherent enough to follow, the lack of smooth transitions and the repetitive sentence structures prevent a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic verbs like 'increased', 'decreased', and 'was'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'steady rose' (should be 'steadily rose') and the confusing use of 'ions' as a unit of measurement, which is not present in the original data. The range is sufficient to convey basic meaning, but there is little evidence of less common lexical items or precise terminology related to data description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'a small increased' (should be 'increase'), 'a minimal decline was occurred' (passive voice error), and '5.18% was decreased' (incorrect subject-verb agreement). Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences are often marred by errors in punctuation and preposition usage. The frequent errors in tense and word form indicate a lack of control over basic grammatical structures.

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