Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-10

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 illustrates the proportions of one nation’s exports in five categories during 2015 and 2016. While the table shows the ratio changes in each section of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

Overall, bar chart report the changes occured in the petroleum, engineered goods, gems and jewellary, agricultural products and textiles between 2015 and 2016,whereas the table shows the changes, increased or decreased in each of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

In 2015 and 2016, petroleum products, engineered goods increased just above 60 billions from below 60 billions market, however agricultural products and textiles also rose around 45 billions from below 40 billions, while gems and jewellery decreased its revenue at below 50 billion from above 50 billion betweens 2015 and 2016.

In the table, from 2015 to 2016, the petroleum had increased upto 3%, whileengineered goods showed the increase which is 8.5%, hovever textile showed the major share amoung all which accocted for 15.24% and agricultural products rose only at 0.81%, in contrast, gems and jewellary decreased which represented 5.18%.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the five export categories and report the table’s percentage changes, including textiles as the largest increase and gems and jewellery as the only decline. However, several chart comparisons are inaccurate or unclear: agricultural products were about $31 billion in both years, not around $45 billion, and textiles rose from about $26 billion to $31 billion, rather than being grouped with agricultural products. The overview mainly repeats what the chart and table show instead of summarising the key pattern. To make the response more complete, accurately compare the highest and lowest values and distinguish categories that rose, fell or remained nearly stable. The figures in the table are mostly reported correctly, but the chart description limits how fully the main features are conveyed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable four-paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, a chart description and a table description. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is weakened because the overview largely repeats the introduction, and the chart paragraph combines several comparisons without clearly separating them. Linking words such as “however,” “while” and “in contrast” are used, but some connections are confusing—for example, “however agricultural products and textiles also rose” does not clearly contrast with the preceding categories. Organise the body around clear trends, and use comparisons that accurately signal whether values rose, fell or stayed stable. This would make the information easier to follow and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “exports,” “categories,” “increased,” “decreased” and “represented,” so the reader can generally identify the topic and intended trends. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing data. “Proportions” and “ratio changes” do not accurately describe export values and percentage changes, while “major share” is not a natural way to describe the largest percentage increase. Spelling errors such as “jewellary,” “hovever” and “amoung” are noticeable, and “market” is an unsuitable word in “below 60 billions market.” Use precise terms such as “export earnings,” “value,” “rose by” and “percentage change,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a contrast structure beginning “While the table shows…” and a longer comparison using “however” and “while.” However, control is inconsistent, and some complex sentences are incomplete or difficult to follow. The opening “While the table shows…” is a dependent clause without a complete main clause. There are also errors in verb forms and agreement, as in “bar chart report” and “gems and jewellery decreased its revenue,” as well as missing spaces and punctuation around clauses. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement, articles and sentence boundaries. More accurate control of these structures would make your comparisons clearer.

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

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