Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-05

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 7.0)

The bar chart illustrates the total export earnings of one country in several categories in 2015 and 2016, whereas the table presents the proportional change in each category during this period.

Overall, there is an increasing trend in every category in 2016, except the gems and jewellery industry. The petroleum products dominated the export industry during both years, while the agricultural and textiles sectors contributed the least in export earnings. The percentage change is largest in the textiles, whereas it is lowest in agricultural products.

Around $60 billion was earned by petroleum products in 2015, and it increased to approximately $65 billion in 2016. The second highest contributor in exports are engineering goods, with earnings nearly the same as petroleum products. The earnings of the gems and jewellery industry decreased slightly from just above $40 billion in 2015 to nearly $40 billion in 2016. The agricultural products earnings remained similar in both years, and the textile industry increased from below $20 billion to above $30 billion.

There is a 3% increase in petroleum products, followed by 8.5% in engineered goods. The agricultural and textiles industries saw around a 0.81% and 15.24% increase in their values, respectively. The gems and jewellery industry declined by 5.18%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview, reporting main features, and making relevant comparisons between the two years. The writer accurately notes that petroleum products dominated export earnings and highlights both upward and downward trends across the categories. Key data points from the visual information are appropriately selected and reported, such as the highest earnings in petroleum and the significant percentage change in textiles. However, there is a slight over-generalisation in the overview stating there was an increasing trend in 'every category... except the gems and jewellery industry', whereas agricultural products remained static rather than increasing. To reach a higher level, the response would need more precise handling of minor categories and a fully sustained, detailed comparison without minor data inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the response. Information is well-grouped into appropriate paragraphs, starting with an introductory paraphrase, followed by an overarching summary, a detailed breakdown of the chart data, and finally the exact percentage changes from the table. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'Overall', and 'followed by' are used flexibly to connect ideas and guide the reader smoothly through the visual data. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in structuring the report. To achieve an even higher standard, referencing and transitions between sentences could be made even more seamless and unobtrusive.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, successfully employing less common items and industry-related terms such as 'proportional change', 'dominated', 'contributed the least', and 'declined'. Word choice and collocations are generally appropriate for an academic report, as seen in phrases like 'increasing trend' and 'export earnings'. There are occasional minor lexical slips, such as referring to 'proportional change' instead of percentage change, but these do not impede communication and the intended meaning remains clear throughout. To move further up the scale, the writer could incorporate more sophisticated, less common lexical chunks and synonyms to avoid repetition of basic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control of grammar and punctuation. There are frequent error-free sentences, such as 'The bar chart illustrates the total export earnings...' and 'Around $60 billion was earned by petroleum products in 2015...'. Complex structures are attempted and controlled reasonably well, including subordinate clauses and passive voice constructions. A few minor errors persist, such as subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'The second highest contributor in exports are engineering goods'), but these are infrequent and rarely impede communication. To attain a higher band, the writer would need to maintain a wider range of error-free complex structures consistently throughout the entire text.

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