Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The bar chart illusrates the comparison of the percentage of exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. Overall, the export earnings is counted in dollars for petroleum, engineered, gems and jewellery, agricultural and textiles.

In 2015, the proportion of fuel products was $ 70 billions, engineered goods at

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response makes a relevant attempt to introduce the chart and identify its subject, but it does not provide a usable summary of the main features. The overview says only that earnings are counted in dollars across five categories; it does not compare the years or identify the overall pattern. The one figure given, “$70 billions” for petroleum products in 2015, does not match the chart, which shows approximately $61 billion. The response then stops mid-sentence at “engineered goods at,” so the other categories and the percentage-change table are not reported. The required minimum of 150 words is not met: the response contains 41 words, with 8 words copied from the prompt excluded from the count. To improve, complete the report and select accurate comparisons, including the largest and smallest categories and the notable changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is a basic attempt at organisation: the opening sentence introduces the chart, and “Overall” signals an overview before the response begins describing 2015. However, the ideas do not develop into a complete report, and the final sentence is unfinished, leaving the reader without a clear progression through the data. The overview also repeats the categories rather than summarising the main pattern, so it does not effectively guide the reader. Use a complete introduction, a concise overview, and one or two body paragraphs grouped by meaningful comparisons. Linking phrases such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” can help connect changes between years, but they need to accompany complete, logically ordered information.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some relevant chart vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “comparison,” “categories,” and “export earnings,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is very limited because the report ends after its opening and one incomplete comparison. Some choices are imprecise: “percentage of exports” does not accurately describe the chart’s export earnings in billions of dollars, and “fuel products” is not the category label shown; “petroleum products” is more precise. There is also a spelling error in “illusrates.” Build a wider set of accurate terms for describing values and movement, such as “stood at,” “rose,” “declined,” and “remained stable,” and use the chart’s category names consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The opening contains a complete sentence, and the use of “Overall” shows an attempt to structure a report. However, the grammatical range is narrow, with only two sentences and no developed comparisons. In “the export earnings is counted,” the plural subject “earnings” does not agree with “is”; a more natural construction would be “export earnings are measured.” The phrase “In 2015, the proportion of fuel products was $70 billions” also combines an unsuitable grammatical pattern for a monetary value with an incorrect plural form after a number. The final clause, “engineered goods at,” is incomplete and has no main verb or finished comparison. Practise complete sentences using accurate subjects and verbs, and check agreement, articles, and singular forms after numbers.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.