Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the value of one country’s exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The bar chart and table show export earnings in one country during 2015 and 2016.

There are four products discuss in the chart petroleum, engineered goods, gems and jewelry, agricultural products and textile. The most profitable items are from textiles and the products that are less profitable or even negative in the chart are gems and jewelry.

The earning amount from petroleum was about $60 billions in 2015 which is than increase to $63 billion in 2016 that is 3% change of total amount. In the same way, engineered products earning raised by 8.5% in 2016 as compared to previous year that was $58 billions and now $61 billions.

All the product showing positive trend but gems and jewelery went down by 5.18% which was about $43 billions in 2015 and comes down to $40 billion in 2016.

In conclusion, country earns more in textile industry if we compare percentage of earning in both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and report several relevant figures, including petroleum earnings and the decline in gems and jewellery. However, the response only partially covers the task: agricultural products are not discussed, and textiles—the category with the largest percentage rise—receive almost no supporting data. The overview is also unclear or inaccurate: “the most profitable items are from textiles” does not match the chart, where petroleum has the highest earnings in both years, while gems and jewellery are not “negative” but remain substantial exports despite falling. The statement that all products show a positive trend also conflicts with the decline in gems. To make the summary more complete, give a clear overview of the main comparisons and accurately report the key trends across all categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure, moving from an introduction to category details and a concluding statement. Some linking phrases, such as “In the same way” and “In conclusion,” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is uneven: the overview is mixed with inaccurate claims, and the body omits two categories rather than presenting the main comparisons in a systematic order. “There are four products” is also followed by five categories, which makes the opening difficult to follow. Grouping the categories by trend or reporting them in chart order would create clearer progression. Use references such as “this figure” or “by contrast” carefully so that each comparison is explicit and the conclusion follows from the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “export earnings,” “percentage,” “compared to,” and “went down,” so the reader can generally understand the topic and trends. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or unnatural. “Less profitable or even negative” misrepresents a category that still earns substantial revenue, while “the most profitable items are from textiles” is not a precise description of the chart. There are also spelling and form issues, such as “jewelery” and “textile” when referring to the category. Aim for accurate reporting verbs and collocations, such as “rose to,” “declined to,” and “recorded the highest earnings,” and use category names consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses mostly simple sentence patterns, with a few attempts to connect ideas through clauses, as in “which was about $43 billions in 2015 and comes down to $40 billion in 2016.” These attempts show some range, but errors are frequent enough to make parts of the account awkward. Examples include “There are four products discuss,” “which is than increase,” and “All the product showing positive trend,” where verb forms, agreement, and articles are not controlled. Tense also shifts in “was … and comes down.” Practise forming accurate past-tense comparisons: for example, “Petroleum earnings rose from about $61 billion in 2015 to $63 billion in 2016.” More reliable sentence control will make the figures easier to follow.

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.