Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-04

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 chart illustrates the value of a country's exports in various categories between 2015 and 2016 while the table represents the percentage change in single category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

Overall, on the x-axis we have product category and on the y-axis we can see export earnings in billions. The table shows the difference in percentages in two years that came from export earnings.

First of all, in 2016, earnings were 62 billion dollars that was slightly higher than the previous year with an increase in percentage by value of 3% . Engineering goods and textiles had also displayed the same trend. In 2016, from engineering goods almost 61 billion dollars were generated and nearly 55 billion dollars came in 2015 which was slightly less than 2016 and percentage difference increased to 8.5%.

Regarding, from textiles approximately 31 billion dollars were earned in 2016 as well as 25 billion dollars in 2015, and percentage showed the highest value 15.24%. If we see, gems and jewellery, it showed contrasting trend. Here more income was generated in 2015 that was 42 billion dollars while in the next year, earnings declined and reached 40 billion dollars and percentage also declined to 5.18%. At last, agricultural products exhibited a marginal increase in 2016 from 31 billion dollars in 2015 to 32 million dollars.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons. You have successfully highlighted the trends for each category and included data from both the chart and the table. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical. For instance, you list figures sequentially rather than grouping them to highlight significant differences or similarities. Additionally, there is a factual error in the final sentence where you mention '32 million dollars' instead of '32 billion dollars', which impacts the accuracy of the data reporting. To improve, focus on synthesising the data to draw clearer comparisons between categories.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is slightly abrupt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Regarding', 'First of all', and 'At last', but these are occasionally used in a mechanical way. The referencing is generally clear, but the structure could be improved by using more sophisticated linking phrases to connect the data points between the chart and the table more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different categories.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'generated', 'declined', 'exhibited', and 'marginal increase'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'percentage difference increased to 8.5%'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, there is a lack of more sophisticated or precise collocations that would elevate the response. The error in units ('million' instead of 'billion') is a minor slip, but ensure consistency in terminology throughout the report to maintain professional standards.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'If we see, gems and jewellery, it showed contrasting trend.' While the meaning is clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as missing articles ('in single category') and awkward phrasing ('percentage difference increased to 8.5%'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with comma usage and sentence boundaries. The majority of your sentences are understandable, but the frequency of minor errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.