Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-02
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 and the table together compare the proportions of five types of products exported between 2015 and 2016. Overall, Petroleum products accounted for the largest share in both years. The amount for Engineering goods was relatively similar to that for Petroleum. Though textiles had the lowest export rate compared to other industries, it accounted for the highest increase in exports in 2016.
The export amount of both petroleum (3%) and engineering goods (8.5%) increased slightly in 2016. The rise was also observed in agricultural goods at 0.81% in 2016. In contrast, textile goods have the highest export rate of all goods. In 2015, less than 40 billion was sold to foreign countries, whereas more than 40 $ billion in goods were exported in 2016.
However, a different pattern can be seen in the gems and jewellery industry. The share of these items fell by 5.18% in 2016 compared with 2015.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the export earnings and percentage changes, but some parts are more fully developed than others. The overview correctly identifies that Petroleum products accounted for the largest share in both years. However, there are some inaccuracies and under-developed points in the body paragraphs. For instance, the statement that 'textile goods have the highest export rate of all goods' misinterprets the data, as textiles actually started at 26 billion in 2015, which is lower than petroleum and engineering goods. Additionally, numerical data is sometimes vague, such as stating 'less than 40 billion' instead of specifying 26 billion for textiles in 2015, which limits the precision of the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding discussion on the gems and jewellery sector, giving the essay a logical progression. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. Words like 'Overall' and 'In contrast' are used to link ideas, but referencing within the text is not always clear, particularly in how the table data is integrated with the bar chart details. Paragraphing is present, but grouping the information could be more streamlined to ensure a smoother flow between the static values of 2015/2016 and the percentage change table.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'proportions', 'accounted for', 'pattern', and 'industry'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are occasionally accompanied by inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, such as referring to export earnings as 'export rate'. Spelling and word choice errors, such as mixing up 'rate' with 'amount' or 'earnings', do not impede communication, but they restrict the response from achieving a higher band. More precise terminology related to economic data reporting would strengthen this area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like 'Though textiles had the lowest export rate...' and 'In contrast, textile goods have the highest...'. There are some errors in grammar, such as tense consistency ('have the highest export rate' when discussing 2015/2016 data in the past tense) and minor preposition or article slips (e.g., omitting currency units clearly like '40 $ billion'). Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the intended comparisons easily.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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