Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-02

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 5.0)

this graph shows the percentage of export on five categories of petroleum products,engineering goods,jewellery,agricultural products and textiles between 2015 - 2016.

the export of petroleum products, textiles, agricultural products and engineering goods increased in 2016, unlike jewellery, the export earnings of jewellery dropped down compared to 2015.

the petroleum products and engineering goods are shows highest export earnings. whereas agricultural products and textiles are the lowest export earnings. jewellery category shows average earnings of export.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the broad direction of change: most categories rose, while jewellery fell, and you note that petroleum and engineered goods were the leading export categories. However, the response only minimally summarises the visual and does not report any figures, despite the chart and table providing useful comparisons. The claim that agricultural products and textiles were the lowest is also imprecise: textiles were among the lowest in 2015, but in 2016 textiles reached about the same level as agricultural products, while jewellery remained higher. The response is also well below the required 150 words, leaving the main features largely undeveloped. Include a clear overview and support it with selected values and percentage changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas are grouped in a broadly sensible order: you introduce the chart, describe the general direction of change, and then compare higher- and lower-earning categories. This gives the reader a basic route through the response. However, the answer is very brief and has no developed paragraph structure or progression from an overview to specific comparisons. The linking word “whereas” signals contrast, but it is awkwardly separated from the preceding sentence, and “unlike jewellery” does not clearly connect the categories being compared. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph of key figures, using clear links such as “By contrast” and “Meanwhile” to show relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “export earnings,” “categories,” “increased,” and “dropped,” so the general subject is understandable. However, the range is limited and some expressions are imprecise or repetitive. For example, “percentage of export” does not accurately describe the chart, which shows export values in dollars, and “average earnings of export” is unclear. “Dropped down” is also less natural than a concise reporting verb such as “declined.” There are spelling and spacing issues in “jewellery” in the opening list and in “engineering goods” as written without a space after the comma. Use precise terms such as “export value,” “rose,” “fell,” and “accounted for,” and vary the language used to compare categories.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates a few basic comparisons, but grammatical control is inconsistent. In “the petroleum products and engineering goods are shows highest export earnings,” the verb form is incorrect and the sentence lacks an article before “highest.” The opening sentence also has an unclear structure: “the percentage of export on five categories” does not form a correct description of what the chart presents. In “the export of … increased in 2016,” the tense is understandable, but the sentence would be clearer with a more accurate subject and comparison. Most sentences follow simple patterns, with little evidence of controlled complex structures. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, then combine comparisons using structures such as “while” or “whereas.”

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