Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-26

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 compares the top ten countries in producing and consuming of electricity in 2014. Overall, China dominates the production and consumption, followed by United states; whereas Republic of Korea shares the least share in the top ten countries around the world.

In year 2014, China has the highest proportion of producing and consuming electricity with the numbers climbed to 5,398 billion kWh when it comes production and 5.322 billion kWh in consuming. United States is ranked 2nd with the numbers 4,099 billion kWh in generating and 3866 billion kWh in usage. Furthermore, Russia is ranked in top 3 countries with numbers 1057 billion and 1038 billion in production and consumption. India, Canada, France, Brazil and Germany are relatively equivalent in numbers. However, Republic of Korea is ranked 10th in the top ten countries with the production of 485.1 billion kWh and consumption of 449.5 billion kWh of electricity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the top ten countries and comparing production and consumption. You have successfully highlighted the main features, such as China's dominance and the ranking of the United States. However, the analysis is somewhat limited; while you mention that India, Canada, France, Brazil, and Germany are 'relatively equivalent,' you do not provide specific data points or meaningful comparisons for these countries to support this claim. To reach a higher band, ensure that you not only list the figures but also synthesize the information by grouping countries or highlighting more specific trends beyond just the top and bottom performers.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction and a body paragraph that follows a descending order of magnitude. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'Furthermore,' and 'However' are used to guide the reader through the information. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraph could be smoother, and some sentences feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow could be improved by varying the sentence structure to avoid repetitive phrasing when introducing the data for each country.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion,' 'generating,' and 'consumption' correctly. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'shares the least share' (which is redundant) and 'numbers climbed to' (which is slightly awkward when describing static data in a chart). To improve, try to use more precise verbs and avoid repeating the same phrasing for every country. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, but it lacks the sophistication and flexibility required for higher band scores.

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 'producing and consuming of electricity' (should be 'production and consumption of'), 'In year 2014' (missing 'the'), and 'United states' (missing 'the'). Additionally, there are inconsistencies in numerical formatting, such as '5,398' versus '5.322' and '3866', which affects the professional presentation of the data. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to enhance accuracy.

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

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