Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-07

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 consumption and production of electricity in billions of kWh in the top ten countries in the year 2014.

Overall, China has the highest consumption and production of electricity among all countries, followed by the second-highest, the United States, in consumption and production of electricity. And with the lowest percentage for the consumption and production of electricity in Korea.

At first, China has the highest percentage in the production of electricity, at around 5,398 billion kWh, and its electricity consumption is 4,099 billion kWh, and the consumption of electricity is 3,866 billion kWh. Then, in Russia, the production of electricity is around 1,057 billion kWh, and its production is 1,038 billion kWh. In Japan, usage of electricity is around 936.2 billion kWh, and production is 856.7 billion kWh . India's usage rate is around 871 billion kWh, and its production rate is 698.8 billion kWh.

Canada's electricity production is at 618.9 billion kWh, and its consumption rate is at approx. 500 billion kWh. Then France has electricity production of 561.2 billion kWh, and its consumption is at 462.9 billion kWh. Brazil's production was 530.7 billion kWh, and its usage was 455.8 billion kWh. In Germany, production was 526.6 billion kWh, and usage was 582.5 billion kWh. Korea had the lowest production and usage at 485.1 and 449.5, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and give a useful overview that China and the United States lead, while Korea is at the bottom. However, the response only partially reports the data because several figures are assigned to the wrong measure or country. For example, China’s consumption is given as 4,099, which is actually US production; the US figures, 3,866 and 4,099, are then repeated in the China sentence. Russia’s consumption is 1,038, not its production, and Japan’s production and consumption are also reversed. The overview also says “lowest percentage,” although the chart shows quantities, not percentages. Check each figure against its series and include the notable exception that Germany consumes more than it produces.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs covering the countries. This helps the reader follow the general ranking. However, progression is weakened by the repeated “Then” and the list-like reporting of one country after another, with little grouping or comparison. Some links are also unclear: “And with the lowest…” is a sentence fragment, while “At first” does not accurately signal a sequence in a static chart. Organise the details into meaningful comparisons—for example, the two leading countries, then the middle and lower group—and use linking phrases to show contrasts, especially Germany’s unusual consumption figure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary such as “production,” “consumption,” “highest,” and “lowest,” and the main topic remains understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise for describing this visual. “Percentage” is inappropriate because the figures are quantities, while “usage rate” and “usage” are less precise than “electricity consumption.” Repetition of “electricity” and “production” also makes the report sound list-like. Aim for accurate, varied terms such as “generated,” “consumed,” “output,” and “stood at,” while retaining the chart’s units. Avoid using “around” for exact figures unless you are deliberately rounding them.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and most of the information can be understood. However, control is uneven, particularly when several figures are joined in one sentence. “At first, China has…” shifts awkwardly into the present tense, and “And with the lowest…” is not a complete sentence. The sentence beginning “Then, in Russia” also repeats “production” where a comparison between production and consumption is needed, making the relationship unclear. Punctuation around the space before the full stop in “856.7 billion kWh .” is another small issue. Use consistent past-tense reporting, and separate comparisons into clear, complete sentences.

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.