Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-14
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 chart illustrates number of exports for different items (petroleum products, engineering goods, gems & jewellery, agricultural products, textiles) in specific country, while table shows the variation in various export category in 2016 relative to 2015.
Overall, in 2016 petroleum products were exported the most while textiles were exported least. Similarly, in 2015 petroleum products and engineering goods were demanding in export sector while textile and agricultural products were in less demand. All the categories of exporting products showed an increase in year 2016 except for gems and jewellery.
Approx. $65 billions petroleum products and $35 billions textiles items were exported in 2015. In 2016, almost $70 billions petroleum and engineering items had exported. In contrast to that, approx. $40 billions are used in exportation of textiles and agriculture products.
Concurrently, in year 2016 exports for petroleum products surged by 3% and engineered goods showed an increase of 8.5%. Likewise, Agriculture products export increased by 0.81% while 15.24% increase was recorded for textiles in 2016. All the items export plummeted in 2016 except for gems and jewellery which declined by 5.18%.
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 covers the main features of the visual data, identifying overall trends and providing some specific data points such as the 3% surge for petroleum products and the 15.24% increase for textiles. However, there are notable inconsistencies and contradictions in the data reporting. For instance, in the final paragraph, the student states that 'All the items export plummeted in 2016 except for gems and jewellery which declined by 5.18%,' which directly contradicts their earlier correct statement that all categories except gems and jewellery increased. Furthermore, some of the figures cited in paragraph three ('Approx. $65 billions petroleum products...') do not align logically with standard chart interpretations for this specific prompt. Consequently, the task is only partially successful due to confusion in reporting the data accurately, leading to a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction that paraphrases the prompt, followed by an overall overview, and subsequent body paragraphs breaking down the figures. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Overall,' 'Similarly,' and 'In contrast to that.' However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty, particularly with abrupt transitions and contradictory statements between paragraphs that disrupt the logical progression. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the response, but the internal flow of data points feels slightly disjointed. Overall, the organizational structure is adequate for a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for a data task, utilizing terms such as 'surged,' 'plummeted,' 'variation,' and 'exportation.' However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing throughout the text. Examples include 'illustrates number of exports' instead of 'illustrates the value of exports,' 'demanding in export sector' instead of 'in high demand,' and 'are used in exportation' instead of 'were allocated to the export of.' Additionally, pluralisation and word-formation errors occur, such as 'engineered goods' versus 'engineering goods.' These errors constrain precision, placing the response firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in tense usage and prepositions, such as 'had exported' instead of 'were exported,' missing articles ('illustrates number of exports'), and subject-verb agreement issues ('variation in various export category'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips recur across paragraphs. Because complex structures often contain errors and basic grammar slips are noticeable without fully impeding overall communication, a Band 5.5 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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