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 vertical bar chart represents the value of one country 's export in various categories during 2015 and 2016 . And table chart depicts the information about the changes in each category . of export in 2016 compares with 2015 . The data has been calibrated in billions and percentages.

Overall it is crystal clear that petroleum recorded the highest value while textiles show least contribute in exporting in given time period .

Fleeting a glance it is noticeable that in year 2015 petroleum products earned highest about 61 billion , and this figure rose to 64 billions as 3% increased in year 2016 . Which followed by the engineered products earn approximately 54.5 billion it steadily increase by 8.5 % in year 2016 and reached at 62 billion . Gems and jewellery show slightly decrease by 5.18 percent in contrast with 2015 as 44billion while in year 2016 it remain only 39.18 billion .

Moving ahead , agricultural products show similar figure as they show very small difference approximately 0.81 % as compared with last year. Where as textile shows highest difference between both years as 17 billion in year 2015 and 32 billion in year 2016

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the data, including the highest and lowest categories and the notable trends. You provided specific data points for both years, which is essential for Task 1. However, the response lacks a clear overview of the overall trends; while you mention petroleum and textiles, a more comprehensive summary of the general movement (e.g., most categories increased) would be beneficial. Additionally, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting, such as the calculation of the textile increase, which affects the precision of your summary. To improve, ensure that your comparisons are mathematically accurate and that your overview highlights the most significant trends across the entire dataset.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'Moving ahead', and 'in contrast with', which assist in linking ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by mechanical phrasing and awkward transitions, such as 'Fleeting a glance'. The use of referencing is sometimes unclear, and the paragraphing could be more refined to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the data, using terms like 'calibrated', 'depicts', and 'percentage change'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'least contribute in exporting' instead of 'lowest contribution to exports' and 'as 3% increased' instead of 'a 3% increase'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on learning common collocations used in data description and avoid repeating simple verbs like 'show' or 'earn' by using more varied synonyms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include incorrect article usage ('the given vertical bar chart'), subject-verb agreement ('textiles show least contribute'), and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around periods and commas. While these errors rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the writing. To improve, proofread your work specifically for small grammatical slips and focus on mastering basic sentence construction before attempting more complex structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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