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 bar chart and table demonstrate the revenue from country's exports in billions across five different categories: petroleum products, engineering goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles and illustrate change in proportion in each export category in the years 2015 and 2016.

Overall, there were considerable increase in earnings in the following categories, petroleum, engineering goods and textiles. It is clear that only slight change observed in agricultural product category and almost remained constant. Likewise, marginal decline in 2016 in gems and jewellery category.

Regarding petroleum products, there was a 3% increase from 71% in 2015 and remained at 74% in 2016. Textiles showed a significant growth rate of 15,24% from 33% in 2015, in contrast, fair amount of 0.81% revenue increase noted in agricultural goods, which were 41% intially and rose to 42% approximately.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and give an overview of the main directions: petroleum, engineered goods and textiles rose, while gems and jewellery declined and agriculture changed little. However, the response only partially reports the data. The figures of 71%, 74%, 33%, 41% and 42% are inaccurate in both unit and value: the chart gives export earnings in billions of dollars, with petroleum at about $61bn and $63bn, and textiles at about $26bn and $31bn. You also omit engineered goods and gems from the detailed comparison. The response is 14 words below the required minimum. To develop the report, include accurate values for all key categories and compare the highest and lowest earnings as well as the percentage changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to selected details. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Likewise” and “in contrast” help signal relationships between points. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph covers only petroleum, textiles and agriculture, leaving two categories unreported and the comparison unfinished. Some links are also awkward: “Likewise” does not clearly connect the decline in gems with the preceding overview, while “in contrast” joins figures that are not directly contrasted. Use a fuller detail paragraph organised by increases and decreases, and make each linking phrase express the precise relationship between the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “revenue,” “increase,” “decline,” “growth rate” and “remained constant,” and the reader can generally understand the intended trends. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task. “Change in proportion” suggests a share of a whole, whereas the table reports percentage change in export values; “71%” also mislabels dollar earnings as percentages. Phrases such as “considerable increase” overstate the small changes in petroleum and engineering, and “fair amount” is not a precise description of the agricultural change. Choose terms that distinguish earnings from percentage change, and use measured language such as “rose slightly” or “recorded the largest percentage increase.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including a complex comparison beginning “Textiles showed a significant growth rate …, in contrast…,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in agreement, articles and sentence construction recur. For example, “there were considerable increase” needs a plural noun or singular verb, and “only slight change observed” is missing a verb and an article. The opening sentence is also difficult to control because several ideas are joined in one long structure. Aim for complete, clearly punctuated sentences: for instance, “Agricultural exports changed very little, rising from about $31 billion to $31 billion.” Check subject–verb agreement and include necessary articles when revising.

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