Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-22
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 chart illustrates the value of one nation exports in five different products between the year 2015 and 2016.
In petroleum products, graph rose up by 6 percent in 2016 which showed 3 percent rise in valuation. There was fluctuation in proportion of engineered goods by 8.5 % in year 2016 by which value crossed 60 billion dollars. In jewellery and gems, ratio declined in 2016 by more than the proportion of 5 .
Agricultural products, had a export over 30 billion dollars in both given years which makes
this product second highest in the table. Last but not least, textiles industry remained most unpopular product till 2015. However, in next year this category boomed by 15.24% which is peak growth by any category in one year .
Overall, petroleum products and engineered goods was the favourite in a table and earned highest money in exports . Others companies like gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles had average interest in overseas market however, textiles industry showed the biggest change in one year
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task by reporting data for all five categories in both 2015 and 2016, along with the percentage changes. Key features are selected, such as textiles experiencing the highest growth (15.24%) and petroleum products and engineered goods generating the highest earnings. However, there are some inaccuracies in interpreting the data; for instance, the writer states that petroleum products rose up by 6 percent, whereas the visual data shows a 3% change and a rise from 61 to 63 billion dollars. The overview is somewhat informal ('favourite in a table', 'average interest'), but it does capture the general trends. To reach a higher band, the student must ensure that all reported figures and percentage changes are meticulously checked against the prompt data to avoid factual misinterpretations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is divided into an introduction, body paragraphs addressing specific categories, and an overall summary, which provides a recognizable structure. However, the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and abrupt transitions. Cohesive devices are basic and occasionally used incorrectly, such as 'Last but not least' and 'Others companies'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks cohesive flow, making the reading experience slightly mechanical. To improve, the student should use a wider variety of cohesive markers naturally and ensure that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one without disjointed leaps between categories.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for communicating the general meaning, but it features noticeable inaccuracies and unnatural collocations. Examples include 'most unpopular product' to describe textiles (which implies consumer sentiment rather than export earnings) and 'favourite in a table' or 'average interest' to describe economic data. While the student attempts less common vocabulary like 'fluctuation' and 'boomed', the lack of precision in word choice limits the score. Spelling is generally acceptable, but vocabulary control remains basic. Incorporating precise economic terminology, such as 'revenue', 'generated', or 'experienced a marginal increase', would significantly elevate the lexical score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The text displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent errors in article usage, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'value of one nation exports', 'graph rose up', and 'petroleum products and engineered goods was the favourite'. Punctuation is also erratic, notably with spacing errors around percentage signs ('8.5 %', '5 .'). While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they are persistent enough to impede smooth reading. To improve, the student should focus on basic agreement rules, correct prepositional phrases, and carefully proofread complex sentence structures before submission.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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