Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-22

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 4.5)

The bar chart gives a comparison of the export in various categories of a country between 2015 and 2016, the table illustrates the percentage change in each category of export in 2016 in contrast with 2015.

Overall, there is a noteable increase in four categories expect Gems and jewellery, the textiles has the gratest increase in contrast to others, after textiles engineered goods are on the second position.

First and foremost, the petroleum products are the products which stands at 70 percnet in 2015 and had increased 3 percent in 2016, secondly; Engineered goods are on close to petroleum product in j

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response3.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the chart and table and give a relevant overview: most categories rose, while gems and jewellery declined, and textiles had the largest percentage increase. However, the response is incomplete and addresses the data only partially. It stops mid-sentence after “Engineered goods are on close to petroleum product,” so it does not report the remaining comparisons or give a complete account of the figures. There is also a substantial factual error: petroleum exports were about $61 billion in 2015, not $70 billion; the 3% is the percentage change, not the 2016 value. The response is 102 words, below the required 150. To improve, complete the report and accurately compare the main values and changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview and then a detail paragraph. The overview also signals a comparison between categories. However, the progression is cut off when the final paragraph ends mid-sentence, leaving the report without a developed sequence of details or a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “First and foremost,” and “secondly” are used, but the latter two do not lead into complete points, and the semicolon after “secondly” does not help the flow. Build a clear sequence by grouping the highest-value categories and then the lower-value ones, and use transitions to connect complete comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “export,” “categories,” “percentage change,” and “increase,” and attempts comparison with “in contrast to.” This gives enough basic language to communicate the general topic. However, word choice and spelling are often inaccurate or awkward: “the export” is less natural than “export earnings,” “the gratest increase” contains a spelling error, and “on the second position” is an unnatural collocation. “70 percent” also confuses a monetary value with a percentage, making the description less precise. Use standard chart language such as “stood at,” “rose to,” and “recorded the largest increase,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both a compound opening sentence and a longer overview, showing some ability to connect clauses. However, the range is limited, and errors in sentence construction and agreement are frequent enough to make parts difficult to follow. For example, “the textiles has the gratest increase” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the petroleum products are the products which stands” combines awkwardly structured clauses and incorrect agreement. The final sentence is unfinished, so its grammatical relationship is unclear. Practise writing short, complete comparison sentences with accurate subjects and verbs, such as “Petroleum exports stood at about $61 billion in 2015 and rose slightly in 2016.” Then check each sentence for a complete main clause.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.