Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-01
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 generation and utilization of the electricity by the top ten nations in the year 2014 measured in billion kilowatts.
Overall, China and United States witnessed the highest production and consumption of energy. Also, all the nations in graph produce more energy whereas, Germany had the least production.
To begin with, China produce the highest figures with 5,398 billion kWh and 5,322 billion kWh being utilized. USA was the second in generating approximate 4,099 billion kWh and 3,866 billion kWh of using electric energy. While, Russia stood at the third position, with around 1,000 billion kWh of production and consumption.
On the other hand, Japan and India produced roughly an average of 900 billion kWh of being generated and around 775 billion kWh of using it. France, Brazil, and Canada each generated around 550 billion kWh of electric energy and consumed around 500 billion kWh. In contrast, the least producer and user of electricity was the Republic of Korea, with approximately 485 billion kWh and 449.5 billion kWh respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying the top producers and consumers. However, there are inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, the text states Russia stood at the third position with 'around 1,000 billion kWh', whereas the chart shows Russia's production is significantly higher (over 1,000) and it is actually ranked fourth, not third. Additionally, the grouping of France, Brazil, and Canada as having the same figures is a slight over-generalization as the values differ. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in data reporting and the misidentification of rankings prevent a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In contrast' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'all the nations in graph produce more energy whereas, Germany had the least production', which is confusing given that Germany is not the lowest on the chart. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data analysis.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'utilization', 'generating', and 'respectively'. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'utilization of the electricity' (should be 'utilization of electricity') and 'figures with 5,398 billion kWh... being utilized'. The phrase 'least producer and user' is also slightly unnatural. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('China produce' instead of 'produces') and awkward phrasing ('USA was the second in generating approximate 4,099 billion kWh'). The use of 'of being generated' and 'of using it' is grammatically clunky and impacts the flow. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. A greater variety of error-free complex structures is needed for a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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