Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-25
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 country’s exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The table represents the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.
Petroleum products earned about $61 billions in 2015 and it slightly increased about 3% and was reached at approximately $62 billions in 2016. Engineered goods earned $56 billions in 2015, which increased with 8.5% and reached at $61 billions in 2016. Gems and jewellery accounted $43 billion in 2015 after the year it was decreased about 5.18% and reached at $41 billions. Agriculture products earned about $31 billions in 2015 after year a mere increased about 0.81%. Textiles earned $25 billions in 2015 and sharply inclined with 15.24% and reached at $31 billions.
Overall , petroleum products had the biggest earned in both the years while textile had the lowest earned in both the years. textile had the largest and agriculture products had the least changes in the value. All products increased in their value while Gems and jewellery decreased.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features from both the bar chart and the table. An overview is provided at the end, correctly identifying the highest and lowest earning categories and general trends. Key data points are cited, such as petroleum products starting at approximately $61 billion and increasing to $62 billion, and textiles seeing the largest percentage change of 15.24%. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reading the precise data points from the chart (e.g., stating engineered goods earned $56 billion when the chart indicates around $57 billion, and textiles at $25 billion instead of $26 billion). Despite these minor misreadings, the overall trends and comparisons are adequately reported, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5-7 response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into an introduction, a body paragraph detailing the data points, and an overall summary paragraph. Progression is generally clear as the student moves category by category through the data. Cohesive devices are used, though some transitions are basic or repetitive, such as starting multiple sentences with 'after the year' or 'after year'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body data, and overview. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional awkward phrasing affects the flow of ideas. Overall, the organization meets the criteria for Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, incorporating terms like 'categories', 'percentage change', 'accounted', and 'inclined'. However, there are several lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'biggest earned' and 'lowest earned' instead of 'highest earnings' and 'lowest earnings', as well as 'a mere increased' instead of 'a mere increase'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, and errors in word formation occasionally occur. The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, fitting the Band 6 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('which increased with 8.5%'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several recurring errors with prepositions and verb forms, such as 'was reached at approximately $62 billions' (incorrect passive voice) and 'increased with 8.5%' (should be 'by 8.5%'). Additionally, pluralization errors like '$61 billions' appear frequently. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur with enough frequency to prevent the score from reaching Band 6.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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