Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-16
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 amount of one specific country's exports in five different items during 2015 and 2016. The table gives information in proportion of these exported items in 2016 compared with 2015. Units are measured in billions of dollar.
Overall, Petroleum products was most popular for both years. Exported gems and jewellery dropped in next year. Textiles marked as lowest earning in 2015 despite having considerable increase in 2016. Moreover, agriculture products remained constant throughout the period.
At the outset, Petroleum products experienced highest figured approximately $60 billions and approximately $63 billions in 2015 and 2016 respectively. In contrast, textiles products marked lowest amount of earning over $ 25 billions in 2015 and over $30 billions in 216. The proportion of petroleum products increased by 3%.However , textile products showed significant growth by 15.24% .
Furthermore, Engineered goods export earning went up by 8.5% figured approximately 55% in 2015 and approximately 61% in 2016. Gems and jewellery products declined by 5.18% in 2016 as compared to 2015.Additionally, agricultural items remained constant and noted approximately $30 billions.
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, including the bar chart and the table. You have successfully identified the main features, such as the dominance of petroleum products and the trends in textiles and gems. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you state that engineered goods were 'approximately 55%' in 2015, but the chart shows values in billions of dollars, not percentages. This confusion between units (billions vs. percentages) impacts the clarity of your report. To reach a higher band, ensure you distinguish clearly between the absolute values in the chart and the percentage changes provided in the table.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', and 'Additionally' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more refined. For example, the transition between the general overview and the specific data points is a bit abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the data points more fluidly rather than just listing them.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'proportion', 'declined', and 'remained constant'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'Petroleum products was most popular' (should be 'were') and 'highest figured' (should be 'highest figure'). You also struggle with collocations, such as 'marked as lowest earning' and 'textiles products marked lowest amount'. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit your score. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure subject-verb agreement when discussing data categories.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the amount of one specific country's exports'), pluralization ('textile products'), and prepositions ('in 216' instead of 'in 2016'). There are also issues with punctuation, such as the spacing around commas and the misuse of 'However ,'. While your meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical slips and ensuring consistent use of articles and correct verb forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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