Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11

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 4.0)

THE BAR CHART THE VALUE OF ONE COUNTRY'S EXPORTS IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES DURING 2015 AND 2016. THE CHART SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE IN CATEGORY OF EXPORTS IN 2016 COMPARED WHTH 2015. OVERALL, IT IS CLEAR THAT PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND ENGINEERE GOODS THEN GEMS AND JEWELLERY THEN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS THEN LAST TEXTILES.

IN 2015 EXPORT PETROLEUM PRODUCTS$60 BILLIONS BUT 2016 YEAR HIGH SCODE BY EXPORT $76 BILLIONS AND ENGINEERING IN 2015 MEDIUM SCORE $68 BILLIONS AND IN 2016 VERY HIGH SCORE $69 BILLION THEN GEMS AND JEWELLERY IN 2015 AND 2016 MEDIUM SCORE OTHER EXPORT IN 2015 $55 BILLION AND IN 2016 $50 BILLION.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND TEXTILES VERY LOW $ BILLION AND OTHER VERY HIGH GROW UP. AGRICULTURAL IN 2015 $45 BILLION AND IN 2016 $46 BILLION AND TEXTILES SCODE IN 2015 $36 BILLION AND IN 2016 $48 BILLION. IN THE CHART VERY GROW UP PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND ENGINEERE GOODS BUT VERY LOW SCODE TEXTILES AND AGRICUITURALAND MEDIUM SCODE GEMS AND JEWELLERY.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to address the task by summarizing the provided data, but it fails to clearly distinguish between the two different data sets (the absolute values and the percentage change). The overview is poorly constructed and lacks a clear summary of the main trends. Furthermore, the data reporting is inaccurate and confusing; for instance, the text mentions 'very high score' or 'medium score' rather than using precise numerical data or comparative language. The failure to clearly present the percentage change data, which was a key part of the prompt, results in a significant omission of information. The response lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The response is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression of ideas is weak. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas, making the text feel like a list of disjointed statements rather than a coherent report. The use of referencing is unclear, and the transition between the introduction, body, and conclusion is abrupt. The overall structure is mechanical, and the lack of logical flow makes it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison of the data categories effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. The student relies heavily on basic terms like 'score', 'high', and 'low', which are not appropriate for describing statistical data. There are frequent errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'ENGINEERE', 'SCODE', and 'AGRICUITURAL'. The lack of variety in reporting verbs and comparative structures prevents the student from expressing the data with any degree of precision or sophistication. The vocabulary used is insufficient to convey the information clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammatical range is extremely limited, consisting mostly of simple, fragmented sentences. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, including missing articles, incorrect verb tenses, and subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'THE BAR CHART THE VALUE' instead of 'The bar chart shows the value'). Punctuation is also problematic, with a lack of proper sentence boundaries. These errors are frequent and often impede the reader's ability to understand the intended meaning. There is no evidence of complex sentence structures.

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

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