Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28

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 values of different products of a particular country from 2015 to 2016, and the table illustrates the proportion changed in each product category from 2015 to 2016.

Overall, petroleum and engineered goods represented the highest value. In contrast, textile and agricultural products showed the least value in both years. Gem and jewellery items maintained middle value in the given period.

Petroleum product maintained the highest value in both years at $70 and around $75 respectively. In contrast, textile maintained a lower position in both years at approximately $35 and just above $40.The gems and jewellery items stood at a middle value

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 106 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, leading to under-developed ideas and insufficient reporting of the visual data. While the student attempts an overview and mentions several categories, the figures provided contain significant inaccuracies (e.g., stating petroleum products were $70 and $75, whereas the chart shows 61 and 63 billion). The data is misread, and key comparisons are incomplete or missing, such as failing to properly integrate the percentage change table provided in the prompt. To improve, the student must ensure all parts of the prompt are covered, data is read accurately from the graph, and the response reaches the required word count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is structured into three short paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and a body section. There is a basic attempt at logical organization, and transition phrases like 'Overall' and 'In contrast' are used. However, the progression is disrupted because the body paragraphs are extremely brief and abruptly cut off mid-sentence ('The gems and jewellery items stood at a middle value'). Paragraphing is insufficient due to the lack of fully developed body paragraphs. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall lack of development and abrupt ending hinder the overall coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate vocabulary for a basic description, incorporating terms such as 'proportion changed', 'product category', and 'middle value'. However, there are lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'the proportion changed' instead of 'the percentage change' and 'maintained middle value'. Less common lexical items are attempted but not always used with accurate collocation or style. Spelling is generally accurate, but the limited range of vocabulary and repetitive structures restrict the score to a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using introductory dependent clauses ('Overall, petroleum and engineered goods represented...'). There are some grammatically correct sentences, but control is inconsistent. Errors include missing articles ('textile maintained a lower position' instead of 'textiles') and incomplete sentence structures due to the essay cutting off prematurely. While punctuation is generally fine, the frequent errors and lack of grammatical variety in the truncated text restrict the score.

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

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