Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The bar chart illustrates the values of a country's exports in five different categories from 2015 to 2016. The values are measured in billions of dollars. The accompanying table shows the percentage changes in export earnings between two years.
Overall, export earnings are improved and increased in four of the five categories, with textiles experiencing the most significant growth. Also, in both the years petroleum products remained the highest earning export. Gems and jewellery was the one category to undergone a decline phase. Earnings from gems and jewellery fell approximately from 45 billion dollars in 2015 to 41 billion dollars in 2016.
Agricultural products showed relatively good growth in both the years. Engineered goods showed a maximum and positive growth in 2016 comparatively to 2015. Overall growth comparatively in 2016 marked a good earning result and showed a positive profit in business in country's export in various categories in both years.
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 the main features of the data, including the overall trend and specific category comparisons. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention that petroleum products remained the highest earner, you fail to provide the specific figures for this category, which is a key requirement for a high band score. Additionally, the description of 'Engineered goods' is vague; you mention 'maximum and positive growth' but do not cite the actual percentage or value to support this. To improve, ensure you include specific data points (values and percentages) for all categories mentioned to fully support your summary and comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall' and 'In both the years', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the general overview to specific details. However, the final sentence is somewhat repetitive and does not add new information, which slightly weakens the overall flow. Using a wider variety of linking words, such as 'whereas', 'in contrast to', or 'consequently', would help improve the logical flow between sentences and paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'significant growth', and 'decline phase'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'undergone a decline phase' is slightly unnatural; 'experienced a decline' would be more precise. Similarly, 'positive profit in business' is not the most accurate way to describe export data. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more varied ways of describing trends and data fluctuations will also be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'in both the years' should be 'in both years', and 'the one category to undergone' should be 'the only category to undergo'. Additionally, 'comparatively to 2015' is better phrased as 'compared to 2015'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of infinitive forms to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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