Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Graph illustrates export earning in year 2015 to 2016, let's summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.

In year 2015 petroleum products export earning was 60 billion dollars and increased by 3 percent in next year. whereas engineered goods earning in first year was 5.8 billion dollars and gradually increased by 8.5 percent in year 2016. Moreover, gems and jewellery business 42 percent and decreased by 5.18 percent.

However, agriculture products export was significantly higher by 0.81% as compared to the previous year. Additionally, textile industry supplied escalated by 15.24 percent in between the years.

Overall, majority of export business increased in the span of year, whereas two of the business dropped in one year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have identified some main features, the analysis is incomplete and lacks the necessary depth. For instance, you mention the percentage change for gems and jewellery but fail to state the actual export value, which is a key part of the data provided. Furthermore, the report is quite brief and does not provide a comprehensive overview of the trends across all categories. To improve, ensure you cover all data points provided in the prompt and provide a more detailed comparison between the two years.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into short paragraphs, which helps with readability. However, the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'In year' and 'whereas'. The connection between sentences is often abrupt, and the overall structure lacks the sophisticated flow expected at higher bands. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus that contributes to the overall summary of the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'export earning' and 'increased by' are used frequently without variation. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'gems and jewellery business 42 percent', which is unclear as it lacks a unit of measurement or a clear verb. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'surged', 'plummeted', or 'remained stable', and ensure your collocations are precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the writing. There are issues with article usage (e.g., 'In year 2015'), missing prepositions, and awkward phrasing, such as 'textile industry supplied escalated'. While some simple sentences are accurate, the range of complex structures is limited and often contains errors. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, including the correct use of articles and subject-verb agreement, before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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.