Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-08
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 bar graph demonstrate the value of one country's exports in various categories and comparing every category of exports in 2016 and 2015. At the glance, exports earning in petroleum products are at the highest.
In 2015, export earning from petroleum products is around 65 dollar billion and in 2016 it was increase round 2 to 3 percentage. In 2015, engineering good income is less than 65 billion but in 2016 it was about 65. In 2015, the trend of profit in gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles is in decreasing manner. Whereas in 2016 the graph is fulcuationg the numbers. Percentage change in values from 2015 to 2016 for petroleum products, engineering goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles are 3 percent, 8.5 percent, 5.18 percent, 0.81 percent and 15.24 percent.
Overall, during the change in values textiles is at the sky rocketed but in export earning it is at the lowest numbers.
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 addresses the task by identifying main features, such as the dominance of petroleum products and the percentage changes. However, the reporting of data is inconsistent and occasionally inaccurate. For instance, stating that engineering goods income was 'less than 65 billion' in 2015 is vague, and the description of trends as 'decreasing' or 'fluctuating' is not supported by the provided data, which only shows a single percentage change between two years. The summary of the percentage changes is essentially a list of figures rather than a synthesis of the data. To improve, focus on grouping categories by their performance (e.g., those that increased vs. those that decreased) rather than listing them individually.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward phrasing and a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices. Transitions between sentences are often mechanical or missing, such as the abrupt shift from the 2015 data to the percentage changes. The concluding sentence is somewhat disconnected from the main body. Using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'in contrast', 'furthermore') would help to improve the flow and make the relationships between the data points clearer.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of unnatural word choices, such as 'at the glance' (should be 'at a glance'), 'fulcuationg' (spelling error), and 'sky rocketed' (used incorrectly as an adjective). The repetition of 'in 2015' and 'in 2016' at the start of many sentences makes the writing feel repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise terminology for describing trends, such as 'experienced a growth of' or 'remained relatively stable', and avoid informal or grammatically incorrect phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The bar graph demonstrate', 'export earning... is'), incorrect verb tenses ('it was increase'), and awkward phrasing ('the trend of profit... is in decreasing manner'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels forced. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that verb tenses are consistent when describing past data. Reducing the number of errors will significantly improve the readability of your work.
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.