Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-25

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 given chart depicts the production and consumption of electricity ranking in the year 2014.

China and United States are top two respectively with a big gap between second and third rank. Korea is placed at the bottom of rankings with Germany a rank higher. Middle ranked countries are separated by fine margins. In addition, United States produces most surplus electricity with Germany being the only country to have more consumption than production.

Electricity is given in billion kWh. China ranks number one with production of 5,398 kWh while consumption of 5,322 kWh. United States is a close second. Russia is at number three with about a fraction of production and consumption as compared to China and United States. Furthermore, Japan secures rank four with 936.2 kWh production and usage of 856.7 kWh followed by India, Canada and France in order. Brazil, Germany and Korea constitute the bottom three of the list.

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 and the notable exception of Germany. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the 'big gap' between the top two and the rest, you could have provided more specific data comparisons to support your observations. The overview is present but could be more clearly integrated. The data reporting is generally accurate, though the inclusion of specific figures for every country is not necessary; focusing on trends and significant differences would lead to a more analytical response. Overall, the task is addressed, but the depth of analysis is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Furthermore', and 'followed by' are used to link ideas. However, the progression between sentences is sometimes mechanical. The transition between the general overview and the specific data points could be smoother. Paragraphing is used, but the second paragraph is quite dense with data, which makes it slightly harder to follow the comparison. Improving the use of referencing and varying the cohesive devices would enhance the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'surplus', 'consumption', and 'production' correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'top two', 'number one', and 'number three' are functional but basic. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends and comparisons, such as 'outperform', 'marginal difference', or 'exceed'. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is appropriate for the context of a data report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'ranking in the year 2014' (which is slightly awkward) and 'United States are top two' (missing the definite article 'the'). Additionally, 'Russia is at number three with about a fraction of production' is imprecise. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for better control over articles and comparative structures. The use of punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence variety could be improved to demonstrate higher grammatical flexibility.

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.