Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-20

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 7.0)

The bar chart illustrates the export earnings of a particular nation across five distinct product categories in 2015 and 2016, measured in billions of dollars. The accompanying table delineates the percentage fluctuation in the value of these exports between the two years.

Overall, the country saw an increase in export value in almost all categories over the two-year period, with petroleum products and engineered goods generating the highest revenue. Conversely, gems and jewellery was the only sector that experienced a decline in export value.

In terms of the highest earners, petroleum products topped the list, rising slightly by 3% from around $222 billion in 2015 to roughly $230 billion in 2016. Engineered goods saw a more pronounced growth of 8.5%, with export values climbing from $57 billion to approximately $62 billion.

Looking at the remaining categories, agricultural products remained relatively stable, experiencing a modest growth of 0.81% to reach roughly $31 billion in 2016. Textiles witnessed the most dramatic percentage surge, growing by 15.24% to finish at over $30 billion. In stark contrast, gems and jewellery proved to be the sole exception to this upward trend; its export value dipped by 5.18%, falling from approximately $43 billion in 2015 to roughly $41 billion by the end of 2016.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear summary of both the bar chart and the table. An appropriate overview is included, correctly identifying the general upward trend and highlighting the highest earners alongside the sole exception (gems and jewellery). Key features such as petroleum products and engineered goods generating the highest revenue are clearly reported. However, there is a notable data error in the third paragraph: the student states that petroleum products rose from 'around $222 billion in 2015 to roughly $230 billion', whereas the chart clearly shows values of $61 billion and $63 billion respectively. This misreading of the scale prevents the response from achieving a higher band, despite the good selection and comparison of other data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with a well-formulated introduction, moves into an overarching summary paragraph, and then presents specific data in subsequent body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Conversely', 'In terms of the highest earners', and 'In stark contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in structuring the response. Referencing is generally clear, ensuring that comparisons between 2015 and 2016 remain easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items and functional phrases such as 'delineates the percentage fluctuation', 'pronounced growth', 'modest growth', and 'dramatic percentage surge'. Word choices are generally appropriate and precise, allowing the writer to describe trends and percentages effectively. There are no major spelling errors or word-choice inaccuracies that impede communication, and the vocabulary deployed supports a clear and professional tone appropriate for an academic task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The student uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'experiencing a modest growth of 0.81% to reach roughly $31 billion'). There is a high proportion of error-free sentences, and punctuation is handled well throughout. Grammatical structures are varied, enabling smooth transitions between different data sets and comparisons. Although there is a minor numerical data error in the body, the underlying grammar used to express that data remains accurate and well-constructed.

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