Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-20

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 chart illustrates the value of a nation's exports in multiple product categories (Petroleum products, Engineered goods, Gems and jewellery, Agricultural products, and Textiles) within 2015 and 2016, along with a table that gives information about the proportion change in values for each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015. The chart's figures are misured in billions of dollars, while the table's numbers are measured in percentages.

Overall, all product categories had increased in earnings amount except for gems and jewellery Likewise, all percentage change in values have an increase, but gems and jewellery declined with 5.18%. Additionally, the highest amount of earnings in both years was petroleum products. However the lowest one is textiles in 2015 with 28 billion dollars, but for 2016 both textiles and agricultural products (around 31 billion dollars).

First of all, petroleum products, which is the highest earning category, increased from around 61 billion dollars in 2015 to around 63 billion dollars in 2016, while also having a positive rising in percentage of change (3%). The second highest earning products is engineering goods which has a percentage change of 8.5% and rose from about 56 billion dollars in 2015 to about 60 billion dollars in 2016.

Secondly, the lowest three earning categories were gems and jewellery, agricultural products, and textiles. Although last two has a slight climb in earnings and percentage change, gems and jewellery dropped moderately in both earnings and also percentage change (0.81%)

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that petroleum products earned the most and that gems and jewellery declined, and you include several relevant figures. However, some reporting is inaccurate: the lowest category in 2015 was textiles at about $26 billion, not $28 billion, and engineered goods rose to about $62 billion rather than $60 billion. More importantly, the final sentence assigns the 0.81% change to gems and jewellery; this figure belongs to agricultural products, while gems and jewellery fell by 5.18%. The overview also says all categories except gems increased, although agricultural earnings were essentially unchanged at about $31 billion. Covering these key distinctions more accurately and developing the comparison of the smaller categories would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. Sequencing expressions such as “First of all” and “Secondly” help signal the move between categories, and the petroleum and engineered-goods figures are grouped logically. However, the progression becomes less clear in the final paragraph, where the comparison of three categories is compressed into one sentence and the percentage figure is attached to the wrong category. The overview also combines the earnings trend with percentage changes in a way that is difficult to follow. Use clearer grouping—for example, compare the two highest earners first, then describe the lower three—and make each reference to a category explicit. This would improve cohesion without relying so heavily on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of task vocabulary, including “exports,” “earnings,” “percentage change,” “increased,” and “declined,” so the main subject is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “the highest earning category.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “proportion change” is not the natural term here, “positive rising” is unclear, and “lowest three earning categories” is an imprecise description. “Misured” is also a spelling error. Repeated use of “amount” and “category” limits precision, while “engineering goods” should match the chart’s “engineered goods.” Aim for accurate collocations such as “export value,” “percentage change,” and “recorded the lowest earnings,” and check spelling and category labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including comparisons with “while” and clauses beginning “which” and “although.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors make relationships between ideas less clear. For example, “within 2015 and 2016” uses an unsuitable preposition, and “all percentage change in values have an increase” has problems with number agreement and sentence construction. In “However the lowest one is textiles,” the tense shifts from past reporting to present, and punctuation is needed after “However.” The final sentence also has an incomplete construction in “Although last two has a slight climb.” Use consistent past tense, check singular and plural agreement, and ensure subordinate clauses are completed. These revisions would make your varied sentence attempts more controlled.

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