Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-19
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 two graphical representations below illustrate the value of a nation's exports in five groups since 2015 and 2016, as well as the percentage change in export earnings in 2016 compared with 2015.
Overall, the country traded internationally five main categories of goods, for instance petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textile. Among of these petroleum products and engineered goods were the leading source of export revenue in both years, while agriculture products and textiles contributed less to the total export earning.
In 2016, there was a noticeable decline in the value of gems and jewellery exports. This experienced a decrease of 5.18% falling from billion dollar in 2015 to just over billion in 2016.This was the only department that recorded a significant drop during the period.
In contrast, textile exports showed remarkable growth. The percentage change in value increased significantly to 15.24% in 2016 compared to 2015, making textiles the fastest growing export category, While, agricultural products recorded only a marginal increase of 0.81%, indicating minimal growth and making it the least improved sector within the given timeframe.
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
You have successfully identified the main features of the data, including the leading export categories and the contrasting trends in gems/jewellery and textiles. However, the response lacks specific data points for the values of the exports. You mention 'billion dollar' without providing the actual figures from the chart, which is a significant omission for an Academic Task 1 response. To reach a higher band, ensure you include specific data to support your comparisons. While you correctly identified the trends, the lack of precise numerical evidence limits the depth of your analysis.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast' and 'While' to link ideas effectively. However, there are some minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the phrase 'Among of these', which is grammatically awkward and disrupts the cohesion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different trends. To improve, focus on ensuring that transitions between sentences are smoother and that referencing (e.g., 'this') clearly points back to the intended noun.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'graphical representations', 'export revenue', and 'marginal increase'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'department' used to refer to an export category, and 'Among of these', which is non-standard. You also missed an opportunity to use more precise reporting verbs or adjectives to describe the data. Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary and ensuring correct collocation will help you achieve a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'falling from billion dollar' (missing articles/quantifiers) and 'Among of these petroleum products... were' (incorrect preposition usage). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances where sentence boundaries are slightly unclear, such as the run-on structure in the third paragraph. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. Focusing on article usage and prepositional phrases will improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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