Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustrates the production and consumption of electricity in top ten countries in 2014.

Overall, china was on top of the list by consuming as well as producing highest electricity whereas, korea accounted for the list values in the both sectors.

To begin with, the production of electricity in China was 5,398 billion kWh and the consumption was 5,322 billion kWh, which is far more than the second ranked country- United States ( 4,099 billion kWh and 3,866 billion kWh respectively). Figures for Russia, Japan and India were almost the same. They produced nearly [redacted phone] billion kWh and consumed around less than that. Regarding Canada, France, Brazil and Korea, difference between the production and the consumption lied around approximately 50-100 billion kWh. Lastly, numbers for Germany represented a variation than others, in which the consumption was more than the production (582.5 billion kWh and 526.6 billion kWh correspondingly).

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying the top producers and consumers. You successfully highlight China as the leader and note the exception of Germany where consumption exceeds production. However, the description of the remaining countries is somewhat vague. For instance, stating that figures for Russia, Japan, and India were 'almost the same' is inaccurate given the data, and grouping countries like Canada, France, Brazil, and Korea together without specific data points limits the depth of your analysis. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide more precise comparisons and avoid over-generalizing when the data shows distinct differences between the countries listed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction and an overview. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Regarding', and 'Lastly' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, the progression of ideas within the body paragraph is slightly mechanical. The transition between the specific data for China/USA and the grouping of other countries could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when you mention 'the list values' in the overview, which is slightly ambiguous. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the flow between sentences could be more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'production', 'consumption', 'sectors', and 'variation'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'accounted for the list values' is not a standard way to describe the lowest-ranked countries, and 'lied around' is an incorrect collocation for numerical data (should be 'stood at' or 'was approximately'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. Improving your control over academic collocations will enhance your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as capitalization issues ('china', 'korea'), and awkward phrasing like 'represented a variation than others'. The use of parentheses for data is acceptable, but the sentence structure in the final paragraph is slightly repetitive. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a greater variety of error-free complex structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent capitalization will help improve your accuracy.

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

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