Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The pie charts below show exports from various EU countries to India and China in 2000 and 2011.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

EU Exports of Goods to India and China in 2000 and 2011

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The pie charts display exports from different EU nations to India and China in 2000 and 2011.

Overall, the percentage of export goods from Germany to India and China increased over the years and has the highest overall percentage while the least overall percentage is Spain.

In India, Germany had 15% of the total EU exports of goods to India as of the year 2000 making it have the third most-United Kingdom being the most with 29%, followed by Belgium with 25%. In contrast, Spain had 2% making the least among all the EU countries. Then, in 2011 the percentage accounted for Germany rose significantly to 25% making the percentage point of 10 while that of Spain remined fairly constant with a percentage point of 1 over the years.

In China however, Germany had the most of the pie chart with a percentage of 38%, in contrast is Spain with the least percentage-2%. In 2011, the percentage point for Germany is 10 while that of Spain is 1. Germany almost had half of the pie chart at 48%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, identifying the growth of German exports and the relative stability of Spain. However, the analysis is inconsistent. For instance, the description of the 2011 data for China is confusing: you state 'the percentage point for Germany is 10', which is unclear and mathematically inaccurate compared to the 48% mentioned later. Additionally, the comparison between 2000 and 2011 for China lacks sufficient detail regarding other countries. While you have selected key features, the lack of clarity in reporting the figures and the failure to provide a comprehensive overview of all trends prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs for India and China. However, the flow of ideas is sometimes mechanical. The use of cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'In 2011' is helpful, but the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'making the percentage point of 10', where the connection to the previous data is disjointed. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more fluid to better guide the reader through the comparisons.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'percentage point' and 'the least percentage'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'making it have the third most'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or varied terminology to describe trends, such as 'surged', 'remained stagnant', or 'accounted for a significant share'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'Germany almost had half of the pie chart at 48%' is slightly informal, and 'Spain remined fairly constant' contains a spelling error. There are also issues with sentence construction, such as 'making the percentage point of 10', which is grammatically incomplete. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band.

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

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