Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-20
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 illustrate graph provide info on the value exports in various categories of one country's and the percentage change in each category of in that country during 2015 to 2016.
Overall it can be observed that in both year the exports of petroleum products is highest and exports of textiles is lowest. Furthermore , Petroleum products , engineered goods and textiles has witnessed an increase; whereas agricultural products witnessed an decrease during the given time period.
From the closer observation of bar graph and table it can be seen that petroleum products and agricultural products witnessed a negligible growth of 3% and 0.81% respectively during 2016; whereas gems and jewellery had a slight decline of 5.18% from $42 billions to $41 billions during 2015 to 2016.
On the other hand there has been a significant rise in both engineered goods and textiles from $55 billions to $63 billions and $25 billions to $33 billions respectively in same time period.
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 highest and lowest categories and the trends over the period. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; for instance, you state that petroleum products and agricultural products witnessed growth, but the table shows agricultural products actually experienced a decline of 0.81%. Furthermore, the data interpretation is inconsistent; you mention a 'negligible growth' of 3% for petroleum, yet the table shows a 3% increase. The report would be stronger if you ensured the data points matched the visual evidence more precisely. While you have selected key features, the accuracy of the reporting needs improvement to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'whereas', and 'On the other hand' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more balanced. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between the bar graph data and the table data could be more fluidly integrated. Overall, the structure is sufficient to follow the argument, but the use of cohesive devices lacks the flexibility required for higher bands.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'witnessed', 'significant rise', and 'negligible growth'. However, there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'The illustrate graph' (should be 'The illustrated graph' or 'The graph illustrates') and 'witnessed an decrease' (should be 'a decrease'). Additionally, the phrasing 'in both year' lacks pluralization. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the errors in basic grammar and word formation limit the precision of your writing. Expanding your range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' would also be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Petroleum products... has witnessed' should be 'have witnessed') and missing articles ('in both year' should be 'in both years'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic agreement and article usage, and ensure that complex sentences are constructed accurately.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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