Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-27
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 illustrate the value of one country's exports in different five categories, during 2015 and 2016, while the table illustrate the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016, as compared with 2015.
Overall, petroleum products accounted the highest earning than others, while textiles has the highest change in percentage value in the same period of time.
Looking at the bar chart, during 2015 and 2016, petroleum products have the highest earning value than others about 60 and 65 billions$ respectively, while textiles have the lowest earning, about 35 and 40 billion$ respectively. Similarly, engineered goods have the second highest value, about 58 and 60 billion$ respectively.
Looking at the table, textiles have recorded the highest changes in value with 15.24%, while gems and jewellery experienced both increase and decrease value, with 5.18% decreasing value, along with 8.5% increase in value. Agricultural products has the lowest percentage with only 0.81% changes in values.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features from both the bar chart and the table. An overview is provided, noting petroleum products as having the highest earnings and textiles as having the highest percentage change. Key data points are selected and compared, such as petroleum products at around 60 and 65 billion dollars in 2015 and 2016 respectively. However, there are minor inaccuracies in data reading (e.g., stating textiles have the lowest earning at 35 and 40 billion, whereas the chart shows 26 and 31 billion). Additionally, the description of gems and jewellery misinterprets the table by stating it experienced both increase and decrease in value, when the table simply shows a 5.18% decrease. These misreadings prevent a higher band, but the overall task is adequately covered.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into four distinct paragraphs, following a logical structure with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the chart and the table. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader (e.g., 'Overall', 'Looking at the bar chart', 'Similarly', 'Looking at the table'). However, referencing is occasionally imprecise, and paragraphing could be tighter. Progression is generally clear, though the transition between ideas sometimes feels mechanical. Overall arrangement satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'percentage change', 'highest earning value', and 'experienced'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'the bar chart illustrate' (subject-verb agreement/form error), 'accounted the highest earning' (missing preposition 'for'), and 'decrease value' instead of 'a decrease in value'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical range remains somewhat limited and repetitive, which positions this response firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the introductory complex sentence using 'while'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'The bar chart illustrate', 'textiles has', 'Agricultural products has', 'textiles have') and incorrect prepositional usage ('in values' instead of 'in value'). While these errors do not severely impede communication, their frequency prevents the writer from achieving a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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