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 graph compares the value of a country's exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016.

Overall, petroleum products, textiles and engineered goods experienced a significant growth. The textile industry recorded the maximum increase of 15.24 percentage point . Whereas, the gems and jewellery category registered a decline to about 50 billions dollars in 2016 as compared to 51 billion dollars in 2015. Agricultural products witnessed a marginal increase of 0.81 percentage point.

Petroleum products remain the major contributor of exported products even though this category recorded a gain of only 3 percentage point. Although in 2015, the minimum valued category was the textiles industry, it got tied up to agricultural products in 2016. Gems and jewellery is the only category that has registered a decline in value. Engineered goods is the second category after textiles to register a huge percentage change of 8.5 percentage point. Petroleum products and engineered good emerge as the top 2 contributors even though textiles category experienced the maximum percentage change.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant features, including textiles’ largest percentage rise and the decline in gems and jewellery, and you compare the leading export categories. However, some figures and trends do not match the chart: gems and jewellery fell from about $43 billion to $41 billion, not from $51 billion to $50 billion, and petroleum products and engineered goods rose by about $2 billion and $5 billion respectively. The overview also calls growth in three categories “significant,” although agricultural products were almost unchanged and petroleum’s rise was modest. The response therefore covers the task only partially, with key comparisons weakened by inaccurate reporting. Use the chart values consistently and distinguish percentage change from percentage points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to further comparisons, and linking words such as “Overall,” “Although” and “even though” help show relationships. However, progression is not always clear: the overview includes several details, while the final paragraph repeats the ranking and percentage-change points rather than developing a distinct comparison. “Whereas” begins a sentence fragment after the overview, and the repeated use of “category” and “percentage change” makes the flow somewhat mechanical. Group the figures into clearer comparisons—for example, the highest values, the largest increases and the one decline—and use linking devices only where they clarify those relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “recorded,” “marginal increase,” “contributor” and “registered a decline,” so the main trends are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “maximum increase.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “percentage point” is not the right expression for a percentage change, “got tied up to” is an awkward way to describe equal values, and “huge percentage change” overstates the engineered-goods rise. “Exported products” is also less precise than “exports.” Aim for standard chart language and accurate collocations; this will make the comparisons clearer without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses beginning “Although” and “even though,” and most of the message remains understandable. Some grammatical errors are noticeable, though. “Whereas the gems…” is a dependent clause presented as a complete sentence, and “Petroleum products remain” and “Engineered goods is” use inconsistent or incorrect verb forms for the past-period data and plural category names. There are also punctuation and article issues, such as the space before the full stop in “point .” and the missing article in “in 2016 as compared to 51 billion dollars.” Use past-tense verbs consistently when describing 2015–2016 and check that each subordinate clause is attached to a complete sentence.

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