Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-07-27
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 8.0)
The bar chart illustrates the export earnings of a country across five categories from 2015 to 2016, measured in $ billions. The table demonstrates the percentage change in the export earnings of five products during the given time frame.
Overall, it is evident that petroleum products and engineered goods accounted for the highest export earnings in both years, whereas gems and jewellery recorded the most modest growth. In addition, agricultural products and textiles experienced the lowest export earnings. Gems and jewellery only showed the lowest percentage as compared to the other products.
In detail, the export earnings of petroleum products stood at approximately $60 billion, followed by $61 billion in 2016. In contrast, the export earnings of engineered goods made up $58 billion in 2015 before rising slightly to $61 billion in 2016. By comparison, the export earnings of gems and jewellery were approximately $52 billion in 2015, before decreasing slightly to $40 billion in 2016. The export earnings of agricultural products represented $31 billion in both years. Textiles recorded export earnings of around $28. This figure then increased to $31 billion in 2016. The percentage change in the export value of textiles was 15.24%, followed by 8.5% for engineered goods. the percentage changes in the export values of gems and jewellery, agricultural products and petroleum products were 5.18%, 0.82%, and 3%, respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 8.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
The response effectively covers all requirements of the task. You have successfully identified the main features, such as the leading export categories and the contrasting trends between 2015 and 2016. The inclusion of data from both the chart and the table is accurate, and you have made relevant comparisons between the categories. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data trends. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are fully accurate; for instance, the text mentions 'textiles' increased to $31 billion, but the chart shows it was $28 billion in 2015 and $31 billion in 2016, which is handled well, but ensure the percentage changes are clearly linked to the specific categories to avoid any ambiguity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and detailed body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from general trends to specific data points. You have used a variety of cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'By comparison', and 'In addition' to link your sentences effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. The flow of information is easy to follow, and the referencing is generally clear. To improve further, ensure that the transition between the description of the bar chart and the table data is even more seamless to enhance the overall cohesion of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, including terms like 'export earnings', 'modest growth', and 'percentage change'. The language is generally precise and appropriate for an academic report. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'witnessed a marginal decline' or 'remained stagnant'. Your current range is adequate for the task, but adding more variety in how you describe increases and decreases would demonstrate greater lexical flexibility.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The response demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentences, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. There are minor issues, such as the lack of capitalization at the start of a sentence ('the percentage changes...') and some minor punctuation inconsistencies. However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede the reader's understanding. To improve, ensure consistent attention to sentence-level mechanics like capitalization and subject-verb agreement. The use of complex structures is evident, and your control over these is generally strong, supporting a solid band 7.0 performance.
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