Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-18

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 manufacturing and usage of electricity in ten major countries in 2014.

Initially, China is the only country with the highest consumption and production of electricity, followed by the United States in second place, and afterwards Russia, Japan, India, Canada, France, Brazil, Germany, and Korea, respectively at position with minor differences.

China is in first place with the top value of production and consumption of electricity; it has production values of 5398 billion kWh and a consumption value of 5322 billion kWh. The United States is in second place with a production value of 4099 billion kWh and a consumption value of 3866 billion kWh, then after Russia, Japan, India, Canada, France, Brazil, Germany, and Korea, with both production and consumption rate of approximately 1000 billion kWh, 900 billion kWh, 800 billion kWh, 500 billion kWh, 500 billion kWh, 500 billion kWh, and 470 billion kWh respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying China and the US as the leaders. However, the summary is somewhat mechanical. While you list the countries, the grouping of the remaining eight countries into a single list with a string of numbers is difficult to follow and lacks analytical depth. To reach a higher band, you should group the data more effectively—for example, by highlighting the significant gap between the top two countries and the rest, rather than simply listing them. The overview is present but could be more clearly defined as a separate paragraph to highlight the main trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized, moving from an introduction to a detailed body paragraph. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive, relying heavily on 'and' and 'then after'. The transition between the general overview and the specific data points is a bit abrupt. Paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the response is contained in one block, which makes it harder to read. Using more varied linking words such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', or 'Conversely' would improve the flow and help the reader navigate the comparisons more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use 'manufacturing' and 'usage' correctly, but repeating 'production value' and 'consumption value' multiple times makes the text feel monotonous. There is an attempt to use 'respectively', which is good, but the overall range is limited. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'production' and 'consumption' (e.g., 'generation', 'output', 'utilization') and use more sophisticated reporting verbs or descriptive phrases to characterize the data trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical issues, such as 'respectively at position with minor differences', which is awkward and unclear. The sentence structure in the second paragraph is quite long and repetitive, which impacts readability. While the meaning is generally clear, there are minor errors in punctuation and phrasing. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of complex structures, such as relative clauses or participle phrases, and ensure that your sentence construction remains concise and grammatically sound.

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