Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-13

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 6.0)

The following chart depicts a country's export revenue in 2015 and 2016 among several sectors including petroleum, engineered, agriculture and many other products.

Overall each sector had a significant trend over these years. However in textiles the exports boosted considerably in 2016 as compare to previous year. While the export figures of agricultural products almost remained plateaued at $31 billion in both 2015 and 2016.

Firstly, petroleum products starting with an export level of 61 billion dollars in 2015 rose slightly to 63 billion dollars in 2016. However engineered goods and textiles had an export revenue of 58 and 27 billion dollars in 2015 respectively. These numbers surged up to 61 and 31 billion dollars in 2016 respectively.

On the contrary, gems and jewellery with export figures of $43 billion in 2015 is the only category which edged down in 2016 to a level of $40 billion. Additionally, no significant change in exports of the agricultural products was observed in both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the data and provided a clear overview. You included data points for all categories and made relevant comparisons, such as noting the decline in gems and jewellery versus the growth in other sectors. However, the task also required you to incorporate the percentage change data provided in the table. You mentioned the figures for 2015 and 2016 but did not explicitly reference the percentage changes, which would have provided a more comprehensive summary. To reach a higher band, ensure you synthesize all provided data points, including the percentage changes, to support your analysis of the trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'On the contrary' to guide the reader. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is mostly clear, though the sentence 'Overall each sector had a significant trend' is a bit vague given that one sector actually declined. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used to connect ideas more fluidly will enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly, using terms like 'export revenue', 'surged', and 'edged down'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'remained plateaued', which is redundant as 'plateaued' already implies remaining at a level. You also used 'as compare to', which should be 'as compared to'. While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding redundant phrasing to demonstrate a more sophisticated control of language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your meaning is consistently clear. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'as compare to' instead of 'as compared to' and 'petroleum products starting with... rose', which is slightly awkward. Punctuation is generally adequate, though there are occasional issues with comma usage, such as missing commas after introductory phrases like 'However' or 'Additionally'. The majority of your sentences are error-free, but you need to increase the frequency of error-free complex structures to move into the higher bands.

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