Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-29
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 5.0)
The bar chart compares the exports in 2015 with 2016. So first of all, we start with 2015 and analyse the bar chart. In 2015, petroleum product earnings were something around 60.1 billion dollars, and engineered goods earnings were 50.7 billion dollars. Then, moving forward to gems and jewellery, export earnings were 40.3 billion dollars, and agricultural products almost earned 30.1 billion dollars. Looking at textiles, their earnings were 20.6 billion dollars. If we see the highest export earnings, petroleum products earned the most, and the least export earnings were from textiles. However, the bad thing is that if you see the 2015 export earnings graph, there was no increase in anything; every export earning was less than the previous one.
Let's start the analysis of 2016 export earnings. In 2016, petroleum product export earnings increased from 60.1 to 60.3 billion dollars, and engineered goods also increased from 50.7 to 60.2 billion dollars. Additionally, gems and jewellery diminished from 40.3 to 40.1, and agricultural products increased from 30.1 to 30.2 billion dollars, while textiles increased their export earnings from 20.6 to 30.2 billion dollars.
As a result, comparatively, 2016 export earnings were more than the 2015 export earnings.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The student attempts to address the visual data by describing individual categories for 2015 and 2016. However, the response falls short of fully summarizing the main features and making relevant comparisons. Much of the data reported is inaccurate when compared to the visual transcription; for example, the student states petroleum product earnings were '60.1 billion dollars' in 2015 when the actual value was 61, and misinterprets the trend by claiming 'every export earning was less than the previous one' (which contradicts both the chart values and the table's positive percentage changes). Furthermore, the table showing percentage changes is largely ignored except for a vague summary statement at the end. This places the response at Band 4.0 because the information is inadequately selected and features major inaccuracies.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organized into short paragraphs that attempt a chronological breakdown (2015, then 2016, then a concluding sentence). However, the progression is disjointed, and the use of conversational meta-language such as 'So first of all, we start with 2015' and 'Let's start the analysis' detracts from the academic tone required for Task 1. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, and referencing between sentences is sometimes unclear. While there is a discernible structure, the overall logical organization is faulty due to the weak signposting and informal framing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is repetitive and basic, heavily relying on simple terms like 'earned', 'increased', and 'export earnings'. There are attempts at less common vocabulary such as 'diminished', but the word choices and data figures are frequently imprecise. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lack of a flexible lexical range and the presence of basic collocations restrict the score. The student fails to use synonyms effectively to discuss the economic data, resulting in a limited range that is minimally adequate for the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional or participial clauses ('If we see the highest export earnings...', 'Moving forward to gems and jewellery...'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are awkward phrasings and frequent errors in preposition usage or comparative structures, although communication is generally not severely impeded. The sentence forms are repetitive, leaning heavily on simple subject-verb-object constructions combined with time markers. This aligns with Band 5.0 descriptors for grammatical range and accuracy.
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