Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The bar chart below shows the top ten countries for the production and consumption of electricity in 2014.

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The provided bar graph illustrates the top ten nations (China, United States, Russia, Japan, India, Canada, France, Brazil, Germany, and Korea, Rep.) for development and utilization of electricity in the year 2014.

Overall, in all countries there is a higher rate of electricity production than consumption. China was ranked first both in production and consumption, while Korea was ranked last.

China was the country which was ranked first in both production and consumption of electricity with 5398 and 5322 billion kWh respectively, in the year 2014. Similarly, the United States produced 4099 billion kWh electricity and consumed 3866 billion kWh which was ranked second. The production and consumption of the electricity drastically decerased in countries like Russia, Japan, India, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil and korea compared to China and United States.

In 2014, Korea produced the least electricity (485.1 billion kWh) and utilized almost the same electricity as produced (449.5).

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the bar chart, identifying the top ten countries and comparing production versus consumption. You correctly highlight China and the US as the leaders and Korea as the lowest. However, the analysis is somewhat limited. While you mention the top two and the bottom country, the middle-tier countries are grouped together in a single sentence without specific data points or meaningful comparisons. To reach a higher band, you should select and report more specific data for the middle-ranking countries to provide a more comprehensive overview of the trends shown in the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized logically, starting with an introduction, an overview, and then moving into specific details. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general trends from the specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'while', and 'in all countries' are used to link ideas. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The final paragraph is quite short and feels slightly disconnected from the previous analysis. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear focus would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'utilization', 'production', and 'consumption' correctly. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'decerased' instead of 'decreased', and 'korea' should be capitalized. The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication or variety required for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more precise reporting verbs or adjectives to describe the differences in the data, rather than relying on simple structures. The current range is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly without difficulty.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'the electricity drastically decerased in countries like...', where the article 'the' is unnecessary, and the phrasing 'utilized almost the same electricity as produced' is slightly awkward. While these errors do not impede communication, they are noticeable. To achieve a higher score, focus on improving the accuracy of your complex sentences and ensuring consistent use of articles and prepositions. The majority of your sentences are clear, but more variety in structure would be beneficial.

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

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