Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-12

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 and table chart illustrate the export value of a country and proportion of exports change each in different products categories in between 2015 and 2016.

Overall, it is clear that country's highest revenue is genreated from pateroleum and engineered goods and least earning in textile in given time period. Although, the table chart depicts the maximum percentage change in inclining values contributed by textiles and decline gems and jewellery.

In the terms of the leading sectors, petroleum and engineered goods earned similar amount in 2016, which increased to more than $60 billion. Gems and jewllery exports got slight decline in 2016 by $2 billion. Agricultural products remained at same revenue which was almost $30billlion in both years. In the hand of textile had made some progress from $15 to $30 billion earnings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response makes a clear attempt to summarise the main features of both the bar chart and the table, noting key products such as petroleum, engineered goods, and textiles. An overview is provided, and some comparisons are attempted. However, the response falls short of the minimum 150-word requirement, clocking in at 135 words, which negatively impacts the extent of task completion. Furthermore, some data points are inaccurate or poorly supported; for instance, stating that textile earnings went 'from $15 to $30 billion' misinterprets the data source, as the table shows percentage changes. Due to the under-length penalty and incomplete data coverage, the score reflects partial task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overall summary paragraph, and a body paragraph detailing specific sectors. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall,' 'Although,' and 'In the terms of,' although some transitions are awkward or unnatural (e.g., 'In the hand of textile'). Paragraphing is generally sufficient to structure the response, and there is a discernible overall progression of ideas, even if the referencing and logical flow occasionally falter due to phrasing issues.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'proportion', 'revenue', and 'inclining values'. However, there are several noticeable word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'genreated' (generated), 'pateroleum' (petroleum), 'jewllery' (jewellery), and awkward lexical collocations like 'proportion of exports change each'. These inaccuracies indicate a limited range that is minimally adequate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as concessive clauses starting with 'Although'. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with multiple errors including missing articles ('least earning in textile', 'got slight decline'), incorrect prepositions ('in different products categories in between'), and awkward sentence structures ('In the terms of the leading sectors, petroleum and engineered goods earned similar amount'). These frequent errors occasionally impede smooth communication, placing the response firmly in the Band 5 category.

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

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