Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-06
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 below illustrates the total export earning of a country through different sectors
An overall analysis depicts that most amount of money earned is through petroleum sector in 2015 and this remains the same in 2016 whereas the least amount of money was added to the earning was from textile industry in 2015 and this also remains the same in 2016
Petroleum industry in 2015 has income of around $60 bilion but this increases in 2016 with around 3% and income increases to $63 billion. However Engineering goods play an important role in export income with the vaue of $55 billion in 2015 and increasing with rate of 8.5% and the value of income incraesed to $60 billion.
Gems and Jewellery also had a good contribution by earning around $50 billion in 2015 and the value of income decreases by 5.18% having the income around $45 billion in 2016. Agricultural Products has a contribution of $40 billion in 2015 and this surges by 0.81% in 2016 and value of export increases to $41 billion. Moreover Textile industry earn around $35 billion in export earning in 2015 and boosts by 15.24% in 2016 and value increasing to $42 billion.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by attempting to summarise the main features of the chart and table regarding export earnings. However, the data reported contains several inaccuracies when compared against the visual reference. For instance, the student states that the petroleum sector had an income of around $60 billion in 2015 when it was actually 61, and misreads other figures such as engineered goods and agricultural products. While an overview is attempted, some parts of the data are under-developed or inaccurately transcribed. To reach a higher band, the writer must ensure that the statistics cited from the visual data are accurate and that the key trends are highlighted with greater precision.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, separating the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is occasionally unclear. The transition between sentences and ideas relies on basic connectors like 'however' and 'moreover', and the lack of a full stop at the very end of the text disrupts the flow. To progress, the writer should employ a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that paragraph transitions guide the reader smoothly through the comparative data.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'surges', 'contribution', and 'sector'. However, there are noticeable word-choice inaccuracies and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'earning' instead of 'earnings', 'bilion' instead of 'billion', 'vaue' instead of 'value', and 'incraesed'. These errors reflect a limited control of word formation and spelling at this level. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to expand their range of vocabulary and check for accurate spelling and collocation when describing numerical data and trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting comparative and temporal structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles (e.g., 'most amount of money earned is through petroleum sector'), incorrect prepositions, and a complete absence of punctuation at the end of the response. Complex structures often contain faults in subject-verb agreement or tense consistency. To improve, the writer must exercise better control over basic grammatical structures, articles, and sentence boundaries.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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