Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-29
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 6.0)
The following bar graph and table illustrate the export earnings of a country in 5 different categories during 2015 and 2016 while highlighting their percentage change in values.
Overall, the export earning in petroleum products, engineered goods, agricultural products as well as textiles have seen slight increase in 2016 as compared to 2015 while the export earnings of gems and jewelry has seen a nominal decrease during that time.
Detailed analysis of the graph showcases the marginal growth in the export earnings of a country during 2015 and 2016 in 4 different categories which include petroleum products which increased from 60.5% to 62%, engineered goods which inclined from 58% to 61%, agricultural products which rose from 31% to 32% and textiles which grew from 26% to 32%. However, the exports earning of gems and jewelry had declined from 43% to 41%.
Furthermore, textile products have increased its value the most by 15.24% in 2016 while gems and jewelry remains the only category in which percentage change has been dropped by 5.18%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and comparing the data between 2015 and 2016. You successfully integrated both the bar chart and the table data. However, there is a significant factual error in your interpretation: you describe the figures as percentages (e.g., '60.5% to 62%'), whereas the chart clearly labels these as 'Value' (likely in billions or millions), and the table provides the 'Percentage change'. This misinterpretation of the data labels affects the accuracy of your reporting. To reach a higher band, ensure you carefully read the axis labels and legends before drafting your summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Detailed analysis', and 'Furthermore' to link your points. However, the connection between the sentences in the final paragraph is slightly mechanical. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the description of the graph and the table could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the clarity of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrate', 'marginal growth', and 'nominal decrease'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'inclined' (which is usually used for a slope or a preference, rather than a numerical increase) and 'remains the only category in which percentage change has been dropped'. These do not impede communication, but they show a lack of precision. To improve, focus on using more precise verbs for describing trends, such as 'rose', 'climbed', or 'contracted', and ensure collocations are natural.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While most sentences are clear, there are some grammatical slips. For example, 'export earning' should be plural ('earnings'), and 'textile products have increased its value' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('its' should be 'their'). Additionally, 'percentage change has been dropped' is an awkward passive construction; 'the percentage change was negative' or 'the category experienced a decline' would be more accurate. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the punctuation is generally handled well.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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