Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-18
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 chart compares the value of different goods that shared a part in a country's export, while the table illustrates the change in percentage of overseas sales between 2015 and 2016.
Overall, petroleum products contributed the largest portion, but textiles had the lowest contribution. The highest export earnings accounted for textiles followed by lowest change in agricultural products.
Looking at the graph in more detail, the engineering goods were closely matched at 68 billion in 2015 and 70 billion in 2016 respectively. The figure for gems and jewellery is almost constant about 50 billion in 2015 and 49 billion in 2016, while corresponding to this 5.18% change is observed in overall export earnings, while agricultural products are remained stable at 40 billion having 0.81% change. Additionally, textiles contributed least from all the other products about 35 billion in 2015 and 40 billion in 2016 referring the highest export earnings about 15.24%.
The bar chart and table depict the considerable change in export earnings for example textiles accounted for least in country export with significant percentage of international trade.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by summarizing the provided chart and table. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that engineering goods were '68 billion in 2015 and 70 billion in 2016', whereas the actual values are around 57 and 62 billion respectively. Furthermore, the description of categories is confused, such as claiming that 'textiles had the lowest contribution' while later stating they had the highest export earnings change. While an overview is attempted, the pervasive misreading of the data severely impacts task fulfillment, aligning this response with band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is divided into logical paragraphs with a clear introduction, body, and concluding sentence. Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes mechanically or awkwardly, such as 'while corresponding to this 5.18% change' and 'referring the highest export earnings'. Progression is occasionally hindered by unclear referencing and confusing sentences, such as linking unrelated data points together within single sentences. Paragraphing is present and generally appropriate for the task type, placing the response in band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate to communicate basic ideas about economic data, employing terms like 'export earnings', 'percentage change', and 'contribution'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocations, such as 'shared a part in' instead of 'accounted for' or 'represented', and 'products are remained stable'. Less common vocabulary is attempted but often used incorrectly, causing some strain for the reader. This performance reflects band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using subordinate clauses with 'while' and 'as'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, including tense and voice issues ('products are remained stable'), missing articles, and awkward prepositional usage. While communication is not entirely obscured, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the response from reaching higher bands, making band 5.0 appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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