Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-14
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 given bar graph represents the value of one country's exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The data has been calibrated into percentages.
Overall it is crystal clear that all the categories experienced a rise in their earnings proportion except from gems and jewelry similarly, its value percentage lowered as well.
To commence with as for petroleum products, it started at 60% in 2015. Then it rise by 2% in the following year. It had highest value in first year, but it was tied with Engineered good in last year. Which initially, began at around 56%. Regarding Agricultural products, it saw a negligible rise by 1%. As regards textiles it was approximately 23%. Next, it increased significantly, surging to just over 30%.
Moving further, the percentage of gems and jewelry, experienced a 2% drop, finishing at 40%. Looking at the details for changes in value, these categories named as Petroleum products, Engineered goods, Agricultural products , and Textiles grew by 3%, 8.5%,5.18%,15.24, respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 changes. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, you state that petroleum products 'started at 60% in 2015', whereas the chart shows values in billions, not percentages. Furthermore, the summary of the percentage changes at the end is confusingly presented, and the claim that petroleum products 'rose by 2%' contradicts the provided table which indicates a 3% change. To improve, ensure you distinguish clearly between the absolute values (bar chart) and the percentage changes (table) and double-check your data transcription to ensure accuracy.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, 'To commence with as for...' is clunky, and the use of 'Which initially...' as a sentence fragment is grammatically incorrect and disrupts cohesion. While there is an attempt to use cohesive devices, they are often used in a way that feels forced or unnatural. Improving the variety and precision of linking words will help the ideas progress more smoothly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are instances of imprecise word choice and some confusion regarding the data types. Phrases like 'calibrated into percentages' are used incorrectly in this context. There is also a lack of variety in reporting verbs and descriptive language. While the meaning is generally clear, the range is limited, and the errors in terminology (e.g., referring to the bar chart values as percentages) suggest a need for more precise academic vocabulary related to data description.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'it rise by 2%' (should be 'rose'), 'it was tied with Engineered good' (should be 'Engineered goods'), and the sentence fragment 'Which initially, began at around 56%'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the list at the end: '15.24, respectively'. These errors occur throughout the text and occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the specific data points being discussed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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