Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-11
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 graph above illustrates the value of exports in various categories of one country's during the year of 2015 and 2016 while the table shows the percentage of export change in each category in 2016 as compared to 2015.
Petroleum products had higher proportion. On the other hand, Textiles had lower proportion.
It is quite evident from that Petroleum products had 61 billions dollar earning in 2015 and 62 billions dollar in 2016. Engineered goods had 58 billions dollar and 61 billions dollar in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Furthermore, Gems and jewellery had earning of 42 billions dollar in 2015 and 41 billions dollar in 2016. Textiles had least earning as compare to others of 26 billions dollar and 31 billions dollar in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Meanwhile, Agricultural products also had lower proportion of 31 billions dollar in 2015 and 2016.
Overall, percentage of petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles accurate change in values in year ([redacted phone]) was 3%, 8.5%, 5.18%, 0.18% and 15.24%.
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 of the chart and table. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing figures rather than synthesizing trends. The overview is placed at the end, which is acceptable, but it merely lists the percentage changes rather than highlighting the most significant trends, such as the overall growth in export values. To improve, you should focus on grouping data to make meaningful comparisons, such as noting that all categories experienced growth, with textiles showing the most significant percentage increase despite having the lowest absolute value.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by repetitive sentence structures. While some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'Meanwhile' are used, the transition between the description of the chart and the table is abrupt. The final paragraph is particularly disjointed, as it attempts to summarize the table data in a list-like format without clear integration into the preceding analysis. Improving the use of linking phrases to connect the data points would help create a more cohesive and professional flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Phrases like 'had higher proportion' and 'had least earning' are repetitive and slightly unnatural. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'billions dollar' instead of 'billion dollars'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more sophisticated terminology related to data description, such as 'witnessed a marginal increase,' 'accounted for the largest share,' or 'experienced a significant surge.' Expanding your range of reporting verbs and adjectives will make your writing more precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('in year 2015-2016'), incorrect pluralization ('billions dollar'), and awkward phrasing ('Textiles had least earning as compare to others'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and articles will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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