Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-22

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 accompanying bar chart presents a comparative overview of Electricity ranked by the countries, illustrating the key variations across the specified categories over the several countries from China to Korea respectively.

Looking first at the countries with the highest figures, China produced the largest amount of electricity, at 5,398 billion kWh, while its consumption was slightly lower, at 5,322 billion kWh. The United States ranked second, generating 4,099 billion kWh and consuming 3,866 billion kWh. Russia was a distant third, with production and consumption standing at 1,057 and 1,038 billion kWh respectively. Japan followed, producing 936.2 billion kWh and consuming 856.7 billion kWh.India followed, producing 871 billion kWh and consuming 698.8 billion kWh. Canada followed, producing 618.9 billion kWh and consuming 499.9 billion kWh. France followed, producing 561.2 billion kWh and consuming 462.9 billion kWh. Brazil followed, producing 530.7 billion kWh and consuming 455.8 billion kWh. Germany followed, producing 526.6 billion kWh and consuming 582.5 billion kWh. Korea followed, producing 485.1 billion kWh and consuming 449.5 billion kWh.

The highest consuming country is China and lowest one is Korea.The more consumtion of energy means the more consuming of fossils fuel and we should have to save them for futher use and for our new generations. United states is also a country of high consumtion Country because of high populations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, including the top producers and consumers. However, the final paragraph introduces irrelevant personal opinions about fossil fuels and population, which are not present in the data. This is a significant issue for Task 1, which requires an objective summary of the provided information. While the key data points are reported, the lack of analytical grouping (e.g., comparing the top two countries against the rest) makes the report feel like a list rather than a synthesis. To improve, avoid adding external commentary and focus on grouping data to highlight trends or significant differences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the progression within the second paragraph is repetitive. The phrase 'followed, producing...' is used seven times in a row, which creates a mechanical and monotonous structure. While the information is logically sequenced, the lack of varied cohesive devices makes the text feel like a list of data points rather than a cohesive report. To improve, use a wider range of linking words and transition phrases to connect ideas and vary sentence structures, rather than relying on a repetitive pattern for every country listed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. The student relies heavily on basic verbs like 'produced' and 'consuming'. There are also minor errors in word formation, such as 'consumtion' (consumption) and 'fossils fuel' (fossil fuels). The range is sufficient to convey the basic information, but the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and the presence of spelling errors limit the score. To improve, incorporate more precise terminology such as 'generated', 'utilised', 'surpassed', or 'accounted for' to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'Electricity ranked by the countries' (awkward phrasing), 'the more consuming of fossils fuel' (incorrect grammar), and 'we should have to save them' (inappropriate tone for an academic report). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods in the final paragraph. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors and the lack of control over complex structures prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and avoiding informal, opinionated language.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.