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 table illustrates the data which carries the ratio of exports on 5 different items and products, such as petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products, and textiles, from 2015 to 2016 in a country.

Overall, the ratio of textiles and agricultural products increased significantly over the given time. Only gems and jewellery decreased during the given period.

Textiles increased by 15.24%, which is very high as compared to the others. Engineered goods also jumped by 8.5%, which is probably a good ratio. Petroleum products show an acceleration of 3%, and agricultural products do not a massive increase it is just 0.81%.

On the other hand, only gems and jewellery show a massive depression in the whole time frame, which is around 5.18%. This means that there was an excellent improvement in the given time period and export improved

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have identified the main features and provided data, the analysis is somewhat superficial. You correctly highlight the growth in textiles and the decline in gems and jewellery, but the description of the data is inconsistent. For instance, you describe 0.81% as 'not a massive increase' while labelling 3% as an 'acceleration,' which lacks analytical precision. Furthermore, the final sentence is incomplete and trails off, leaving the summary unfinished. To improve, ensure you reach the word count by providing a more thorough comparison of the categories and ensure all sentences are complete.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'On the other hand,' and 'This means that' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is slightly disjointed due to the abrupt ending and the lack of a clear concluding synthesis. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between the body paragraphs could be improved by using more sophisticated transition signals to compare the categories rather than listing them sequentially.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. Phrases like 'massive depression' are inappropriate in this context; 'decline' or 'contraction' would be more accurate. Similarly, 'ratio' is used repeatedly where 'percentage' or 'value' would be more suitable. You attempt some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'petroleum products' and 'engineered goods,' but the overall range is limited. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoid informal or emotive language when describing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'do not a massive increase' (missing verb) and 'the data which carries the ratio' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, but the final sentence is grammatically incomplete, which is a significant error. While the meaning is usually clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that every sentence has a clear, complete structure.

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

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