Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The given graph illustrates one country's export earnings in various categories such as petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles in 2015 and 2016 along with percentage changesin the vlaues of these products respectively.

Overall, we can observe that the products which had the highest export earnings in 2015 were petroleum products followed by engineered goods, whilst a significant gap was recorded in other three categories. Textiles experienced the largest percentage increase in 2016 compared to other products listed. Gems and jewellery was the only category to show a decline in export earnings.

In terms of export earnings, Petroleum products had the highest contribution in export earnings in 2015 at approximation of $60 billion which later on increased to $63 billion, an increase of 3% in 2016. A similar pattern was observed in Engineered goods where the initial earnings were around $55 billion that later increased to $63.5 billion, an increase of 8.5% in 2016 respectively. Gems and jewellery generated approximately $43 billion in 2015 but experienced a 5.18% decline, contributing $37.82 billion in 2016. Agricultural products remained stagnant as, in 2015 export earnings were $30 billions which rose to $30.18 billion in 2016. Textiles recorded largest increase initially it was recorded at around $25 billion which later surged to 15.24% approximately $40 billion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear introduction, a well-selected overview, and specific data points for both years. The writer identifies key trends, such as petroleum products having the highest earnings and textiles seeing the largest percentage increase, while noting the decline in gems and jewellery. However, the response sits at this level because some details are slightly inaccurate or under-developed. For instance, the text claims that engineered goods increased to $63.5 billion and textiles surged to approximately $40 billion, which diverges from the provided data chart. To reach a higher band, the writer must ensure that all figures reported are strictly accurate according to the visual data and extend the supporting details more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into paragraphs, featuring an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the categories. Information and ideas are logically sequenced, beginning with general observations and moving into specific data comparisons. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'whilst', and 'In terms of export earnings' are used to guide the reader through the text. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel somewhat mechanical, and some transitions could flow more smoothly. To achieve a higher level of cohesion, the writer should employ a wider variety of cohesive relationships without relying on repetitive structural openings for each category in the final paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms relevant to economic data such as 'export earnings', 'percentage increase', 'decline', and 'stagnant'. There are appropriate attempts at less common vocabulary, but some inaccuracies in word choice and spelling occur, such as 'changesin' and 'vlaues' in the introduction, as well as describing agricultural products as remaining stagnant when they actually rose slightly. These lexical errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. To improve, the writer should double-check spelling, refine word choices for exact precision, and ensure collocations regarding economic trends are used accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, successfully employing relative clauses and comparative structures. There is good control over basic sentence construction, and punctuation is generally handled adequately. However, the writer makes some grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('at approximation of'), awkward phrasing ('where the initial earnings were around $55 billion that later increased'), and minor prepositional inconsistencies. These errors persist throughout the text but rarely impede communication. To move up to the next band, the writer should aim for a higher frequency of error-free complex sentences and exercise greater care with articles, verb tense consistency, and prepositional patterns.

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

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