Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-07
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 plot displays the comparison in a country's goods export in different sectors during time period of 2015 and 2016.
Overall, the notable trend shown is that percentage change in values of textiles increases the most in contrast to other goods categories. Moreover, gems and jewellery values dropped down by 5.18 percentage.
Beginning with first of the bar graph during 2015-16, petroleum products value increase slightly by 3 percent from 61 to 64. Whereas the engineer goods faced a similar kind of trend rose by 8.5 percent from almost 55 to 62. In contrast, country's export ratio in gems and jewellery category reduced by 5.18 percent.
Moving on to the remaining categories, agricultural commodities experiences a slight increase in the export rose by 0.81 percent. The significant trend that can be observed is that countries export in clothing materials rose the most in comparison to all other goods by 15.24 percent.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and providing relevant comparisons. You successfully highlighted the growth in textiles and the decline in gems and jewellery. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, you mention 'petroleum products' and 'engineer goods' but do not fully integrate the data from the table (percentage change) with the bar chart (values) to provide a more cohesive summary. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurately referenced and that the 'main features' are clearly distinguished from supporting details. The overview is present but could be more analytical regarding the overall economic performance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Beginning with', and 'In contrast' to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. For example, the phrase 'Beginning with first of the bar graph' is awkward and impacts the natural flow of the text. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'export', 'categories', and 'commodities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'The plot displays' is not ideal for a chart/table description; 'The chart illustrates' would be more appropriate. Additionally, 'dropped down' is slightly informal, and 'export ratio' is used incorrectly in the context of the provided data. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that collocations are natural and contextually accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For instance, 'agricultural commodities experiences' shows a subject-verb agreement error, and 'during time period of 2015 and 2016' lacks necessary articles. Furthermore, 'rose by 8.5 percent from almost 55 to 62' is a bit clunky. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage to improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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