Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-10
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 graph illustrates the amount of a country's exports in various categories for two consecutive years and the table graph provides information about change in values of each category in 2016 comparing with the values of 2015.
Overall, it can be seen that export of petroleum product was highest among all other categories. Moreover, there was a major increase in the value of textile.
Turning to the details, their is slight increase in the value of petroleum products exported which was about $2 billion in 2015 and 2016. The export of engineered goods has noticed a rose from $57 to$ 62 billion in two years. For both the years the value of export for gems and jewellery declined approximately $2 billion. The export of agricultural product remained same at an average of $31 billion. The exports of textiles climbed from $27 to $32 billion.
Moving further, there was an increase in the percentage of petroleum product and engineered goods in 2 years that was 3% and 8.5% respectively. The percentage of gems and jewellery declined by 5.18%; whereas, there was an inclined in proportion of agriculture produce and textile of 0.81% and 15.24% 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 all parts of the task by summarizing the main features of both the bar chart and the table. You successfully identified key trends, such as the dominance of petroleum products and the significant growth in textiles. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by inaccuracies in data interpretation. For example, you stated that petroleum exports were about $2 billion, whereas the chart indicates figures closer to $60 billion. Additionally, the statement that agricultural products remained the same at $31 billion is contradicted by the table showing a percentage change. More careful attention to the specific data points is required to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the bar chart and the table respectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the data. Cohesive devices such as 'Turning to the details', 'Moving further', and 'whereas' are used to guide the reader through the information. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the connection between the two data sets could be more integrated to improve the overall flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'consecutive years', 'categories', and 'proportion'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'noticed a rose' (should be 'experienced a rise') and 'there was an inclined' (should be 'there was an increase'). These errors do not impede communication but prevent the use of more sophisticated, natural-sounding language. To improve, focus on using nouns and verbs correctly in context and expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs beyond 'remained' or 'increased'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'their is slight increase' (should be 'there is a slight increase') and 'export of petroleum product was highest' (missing an article). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning remains clear despite these errors, the frequency of these slips limits the score. To achieve a higher band, focus on proofreading for basic errors like missing articles and ensuring consistent verb tense usage when describing past data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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