Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-04

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 chart illustrate ten leading countries in the production and consumprion of electricity in 2014, measured in billion kWh.

Overall, China, United States and Russia accounted for relatively high compared to other countries. Germany was the only country to surpass the production of electricity over the period.

China dominated by producing 5,398 billlion kWh and using5,322 billion kWh. In contrast, Korea, was in tenth place accounting for 485.1 billion kWh electricity production and 449.5 billion of consumption. United States leaded in the second place, having used 3,886 billion of electricity and prodcuing 4,099 billion kWh. Followed by this, Russia placed in third place, producing 1,057 billion kWh and using similarily at 1,038 billion kWh.

Germany, in the ninth, was the only one to use more energy than its production, producing 526.6 billion kWh of energy then overnumbered by 582.5 billion kWh of energy consumption.

Other countries, Japan, India, Canada, France and Brazil ranged from 936.2 billion kWh to 455.8 billion kWh of energy production and consumption.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the data, such as the dominance of China and the United States, and noted the unique position of Germany regarding consumption. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical overview. While you mention that China, the US, and Russia accounted for high figures, this is a bit vague. Furthermore, there are some inaccuracies in your interpretation; for instance, stating Germany was the 'only' country to surpass production is slightly confusing in phrasing, and you missed the opportunity to group the remaining countries more effectively to highlight trends. The data is presented, but the comparison could be more sophisticated to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'Followed by this' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the transition to the final paragraph about the remaining countries is a bit sudden. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the sentence structure makes it difficult to follow the comparison between the countries mentioned. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'production', 'consumption', and 'surpass'. However, there are several spelling errors ('consumprion', 'billlion', 'similarily', 'prodcuing') and some awkward word choices, such as 'overnumbered' and 'leaded'. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider range of precise collocations. To improve, focus on using more varied verbs to describe trends and ensure that technical terms are spelled correctly throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The chart illustrate', 'United States leaded') and awkward phrasing ('Germany, in the ninth, was the only one'). While these errors rarely impede communication, they are persistent enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. To achieve a higher band, you should focus on ensuring consistent verb tenses and improving the accuracy of your sentence construction, particularly when dealing with comparative structures and numerical data.

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

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