Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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 graphs compares the changes of proportion of various categories of exports such as: petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles in a country during 2015 and 2016.

Overall, the large amount of export was petrolem products in both years, followed by engineered goods at the second largest proportion of export with textiles as the least exported product in both years.

In 2015, petroleum products were exported in huge volume approximately 60%, followed by engineered goods upto 55%. Gems and jewellery were exported approx 50% and agricultural products at 40%. Meanwhile, textiles were the least exported category approximately 35%.

In 2016, petroleum remained the highest exported category approximately 69%, followed by engineered goods with slight increased of export upto 60%. However, their was slighly increase of export of agricultural products at 41% and textiles at 40%. Moreover, the export of gems and jewellery decreased approx 5.18% in 2016.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main categories and correctly note that petroleum products were the largest export in both years, while textiles were among the smallest. However, several figures and comparisons do not match the chart: for example, petroleum is about $61 billion in 2015 and $63 billion in 2016, not approximately 60% and 69%; the chart reports values in billions, not proportions. The 2015 figures for gems and agricultural products are also overstated. Your overview says textiles were the least exported in both years, but in 2016 agricultural products and textiles are both about $31 billion. The percentage change for gems is given, but the other categories’ changes are not meaningfully summarised. More accurate reporting and a clearer overview of the key increases and decrease would address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for 2015 and 2016. This makes the information easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Meanwhile,” and “Moreover” help signal relationships. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical, with each year presented as a list rather than organised around the most important comparisons. Some connections are also unclear: “However” introduces an increase in agricultural exports and textiles, although it does not contrast with the preceding point about engineered goods. The reference “their” in “their was” is also unclear. Grouping the main rises together and contrasting them with the fall in gems would create a more purposeful flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “export,” “category,” “petroleum products,” and “gems and jewellery,” and make some attempts at describing scale and change. However, several choices are imprecise or repetitive: “huge volume,” “large amount of export,” and “highest exported category” are not natural ways to describe the chart’s monetary values. “Proportion” and the repeated “approximately” also misrepresent or blur what is being measured. There are noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “petrolem,” “upto,” and “slighly,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise chart language such as “export earnings,” “stood at,” “rose to,” and “declined,” and use the unit “$ billions” consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple sentences and some more developed structures, including “Overall…” and the contrast introduced by “Meanwhile.” Most of the intended meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. The opening has subject–verb disagreement (“The bar graphs compares”), and “their was” should be “there was.” There are also problems with articles and sentence construction in phrases such as “with slight increased of export” and “the large amount of export was.” The repeated use of sentence openings such as “In 2015” and “In 2016” limits structural variety. Practise accurate comparative forms and clauses—for example, “Engineered goods rose slightly, while gems and jewellery declined”—and check agreement and article use when editing.

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