Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-05
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 proportion of the value of one country's exports in various categories between 2015 and 2016. The table represents the change in the each category of exports compared with 2016 and 2015.
Overall, petroleum products and engineered products had the highest export figures in both years, while textile had the relatively lower. Textile industry had the highest value increase, while petroleum had lowest rates.
In 2015, petroleum and engineered goods showed the figures for about $61 million and $55 million, and the lowest earnings is about $26 million for textiles. By 2016, petroleum products accounted for the largest export earnings with $63 million, followed by $62 million for engineering goods, while agriculture and textile showed relatively same with about $32 million.
The percentage change in their earnings compared to 2015 and 2016. textile industry had the highest rose accounting for 15.24%, engineering goods increased 8.5% and pe
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the data, such as identifying the highest and lowest export categories. However, the report is incomplete; it cuts off abruptly in the final paragraph, failing to finish the analysis of the percentage changes. While the overview is present, the lack of a complete conclusion or full synthesis of the data prevents a higher score. The data points provided are generally accurate, but the incomplete nature of the response means that not all parts of the task are fully addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is an attempt at an overview, and the body paragraphs start to group information logically. However, the abrupt ending significantly disrupts the flow and coherence of the final section. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall' and 'By 2016', but the transition between the data description and the percentage change analysis is mechanical. The lack of completion makes the overall progression feel disjointed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'export earnings', and 'percentage change'. However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'textile had the relatively lower' (should be 'relatively lower figures') and 'textile industry had the highest rose' (should be 'highest rise'). The range is somewhat limited, and the errors occasionally draw attention, though they do not fully impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the lowest earnings is about') and incorrect preposition usage ('compared with 2016 and 2015'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the incomplete final sentence demonstrates a lack of control over sentence structure. While the meaning is usually clear, the frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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