Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-11

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 6.5)

The given horizontal column graph illustrates the information about the top ten countries for production and consumption of electricity in the year 2014. The data has been calibrated in billion kWh.

Overall, it is crystal clear that the highest consumption of electricity was in China whereas, the lowest proportion of electricity was consumed in Korea, Rep.

At a fleeting glance, China ranked first in electricity consumption around 5,398 was in production while 5,322 were in consumption. Secondly, in United States the production was 4,099 billion kWh whereas, the consumption was 3,866 billion kWh of electricity in the year 2014. In Russia, ratio remains similar in both production and consumption which was approximately 1,057 kWh of electricity in 2014. Japan followed closely behind, generating 936.2 billion kWh while consuming 856.7 billion kWh.

Moreover, India, Canada, France, and Brazil exhibited a similar trend where production outpaced consumption. However, Germany and the Republic of Korea occupied the bottom two positions. Notably, Germany was the sole nation where consumption 582.5 billion kWh exceeded its domestic production 526.6 billion kWh.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively covers the main features of the bar chart, identifying the top countries and highlighting the relationship between production and consumption. You successfully selected key data points, such as China's leading position and the unique case of Germany where consumption exceeded production. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the trends. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are presented with consistent units; for instance, you mention '5,398' for China without specifying 'billion kWh' in that specific sentence, which could lead to minor confusion. Overall, the task is well-addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the top consumers to a comparison of trends. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'At a fleeting glance', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or slightly misused, such as 'At a fleeting glance', which is not standard academic phrasing for data analysis. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the general overview from the specific details, contributing to a coherent structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information accurately, using terms like 'calibrated', 'exhibited', 'outpaced', and 'domestic production'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the data has been calibrated' (which is not the most natural way to describe a chart's units) and 'ratio remains similar' (when referring to production and consumption figures). While these do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching the highest band. The vocabulary is generally appropriate for an academic task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show good control over grammar, with most sentences being error-free. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'the highest consumption of electricity was in China whereas, the lowest proportion...' where the comma placement before 'whereas' is unnecessary, and 'in United States' which requires the definite article 'the'. Despite these minor inaccuracies, the meaning is always clear, and the grammatical control is strong enough to support the communication of complex data.

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

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