Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 bar chart illustrate the production and consumption of electricity in 2014. At a glance, it is observed that there are top 10 countries of the globe.

Overall, it is observed that China had the highest production as well as consumption of the electricity whereas, Korea had the least consumption of the electricity in the year 2014.

In the year 2014, China was the country which had the highest consumption and production of electricity of 5398 billion KWh and 5322 billion KWh respectively. United states was the country which had 4099 billion KWh of production and 3866 billion KWh of consumption of the electricity.

It is observed that the countries such as Russia and Korea, republic had almost equivalent amount of production as well as consumption. Germany was the only country which had higher consumption of the electricity compared to the production of the electricity in the year of 2014.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the bar chart, including the highest and lowest producers/consumers. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you correctly identify China and Korea, the report lacks a comprehensive comparison of the remaining countries in the top ten. The data selection is accurate, but the summary could be improved by grouping countries or highlighting more significant trends beyond just the extremes. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a more detailed overview of the data set rather than focusing only on individual countries in isolation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In the year 2014', and 'whereas'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. For instance, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally repetitive, such as the repeated use of 'the electricity' throughout the text. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns or synonyms are used to avoid repetition would enhance the overall cohesion of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'highest', 'lowest', and 'production/consumption'. There is some repetition of phrases such as 'the electricity' and 'in the year 2014'. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to data description, such as 'surpassed', 'accounted for', or 'marginal difference'. While the meaning is always clear, the lexical range is limited, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors that impact the quality of the writing. For example, 'The bar chart illustrate' should be 'illustrates' (subject-verb agreement), and 'there are top 10 countries' is awkward phrasing. You use some complex structures, but they are often marred by minor errors, such as 'Korea, republic' and the repetitive use of 'the' before 'electricity'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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