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 export earnings in 2015 and 2016. First of all, let’s start with 2015 and analyse the bar chart. In 2015, petroleum products earned around 60.1 billion dollars, while engineered goods earned 50.7 billion dollars. Moving forward to gems and jewellery, export earnings were 40.3 billion dollars, while agricultural products earned almost 30.1 billion dollars. Looking at textiles, export earnings were 20.6 billion dollars.
If we look at the highest export earnings, petroleum products earned the most, while textiles had the lowest export earnings. However, in 2015, there was a gradual decrease in export earnings across all categories, with each category earning less than the previous one.
Let's start the analysis of export earnings in 2016. 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 decreased from 40.3 to 40.1 billion dollars, while agricultural products increased from 30.1 to 30.2 billion dollars. Textiles also increased their export earnings from 20.6 to 30.2 billion dollars.
As a result, comparatively, export earnings were higher in 2016 than in 2015.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by describing the export earnings in 2015 and 2016 across various categories. However, there are significant flaws in data interpretation and coverage. The numbers cited for 2015 (e.g., petroleum products at 60.1 billion, engineered goods at 50.7 billion) and 2016 do not accurately reflect the visual data provided in the prompt, and the student completely omits the accompanying table showing the percentage changes, which was a core feature of the visual information. Furthermore, the claim that 'there was a gradual decrease in export earnings across all categories' in 2015 misinterprets the sequential heights of the bars. Because key data is misread and the table is ignored, the task is only partially addressed, leading to a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organised into paragraphs, with an introduction, a body paragraph for 2015, another for 2016, and a brief concluding sentence. However, the progression is disjointed and informal, featuring conversational meta-language such as 'First of all, let’s start with 2015 and analyse the bar chart' and 'Let's start the analysis'. Cohesive devices are repetitive and basic, relying heavily on time markers like 'In 2015', 'Moving forward to', and 'In 2016'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal logical flow suffers from inaccurate statements and poor connection of ideas, resulting in a Band 5.0 for overall coherence and cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses basic and repetitive vocabulary related to the task, such as 'export earnings', 'earned', 'increased', and 'decreased'. Attempts at less common vocabulary are minimal. There are noticeable lexical inaccuracies, particularly in the phrasing used to describe numerical data and trends. Words are repeated frequently within short spans, which limits flexibility. However, the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic intent of describing charts, even though the data itself is inaccurate. This performance aligns with Band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using constructions such as 'while petroleum products earned around...' and 'as a result, comparatively, export earnings were higher...'. There is an attempt at variety, but grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. The writing contains awkward phrasings and minor structural awkwardness, though communication is generally not impeded by these errors. The control over grammar is adequate for a basic narrative of the chart, supporting a Band 6.0 for grammatical range and accuracy.
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