Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-08

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 bar graph illustrates the value of one country's exports earning in various categories between 2015 and 2016, while the table chart shows the percentage change in each category of exports from following year.

Overall, Petroleum product and Engineered goods was constitued the highest in 2016, whereas it quite lowest in 2015. Agriculture product was similar in both the years. In contrast, Gems and jewellery has been decreased as compared to other categories.

In 2015, the export earning from Petroleum product accounted at nearly 60 billions, it increased with 62 billions in 2016. Furthermore, the earning of Engineered good was contributed at 55 billions in 2015, it inclined with 61 billions in following year. Whereas Gem and jewellery had recorded highest in 2015, at exproximately 42 billions, but it experienced slightly lower in 2016, at 40 billions. In 2015 and 2016 Argiculture product was relatively similar at 30 billions and 31 billions respectively. Textile accounted at 25 billion in 2015, it increased with 32 billions in 2016.

In addition, Petroleum product increased the value with 3%, whereas Engineered good accounted at 8.5%. Gem and jewellery was the lowest at 5.8% as compared to other categories.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover both the chart and the table and include a general overview, identifying the broadly stable agricultural figures and the decline in gems and jewellery. Most chart values are close to the visual data, and small differences are acceptable. However, the overview is unclear: petroleum and engineered goods were the highest categories in both years, not the lowest in 2015. The table is also reported incompletely and inaccurately: textiles had the largest increase (15.24%), while the gems figure is 5.18%, not 5.8%; calling it the lowest increase is incorrect because gems declined. The overview and comparisons therefore only partly capture the main features. Make the ranking and direction of change explicit, and report the key percentage changes accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph describing the chart values, and a final paragraph on percentage changes. This helps the reader locate the main information. However, progression is weakened by unclear or contradictory statements, especially “Petroleum product and Engineered goods was constituted the highest in 2016, whereas it quite lowest in 2015.” Several sentences join separate comparisons with commas, making relationships difficult to follow, and “Whereas” begins a fragment-like transition. The final paragraph is brief and does not connect the table figures clearly to the earlier account. Use clearer topic sentences, group increases separately from the decline, and make each comparison a complete, logically linked sentence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “export earning,” “percentage change,” “increased,” and “decreased,” so the topic is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal reporting language. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive: “earning ... accounted at,” “it inclined,” and “experienced slightly lower” do not express the intended comparisons naturally. Some category names are also inconsistent, such as “Agriculture product,” “Argiculture product,” and “Textile.” These noticeable errors limit precision and can make the reader pause. Aim for standard chart-reporting phrases and use the category labels consistently; for example, describe values as “stood at” a figure and say they “rose by” or “fell to” a stated amount.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including contrast clauses with “whereas” and “but,” and the overall meaning can usually be recovered. However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make comparisons hard to interpret. Examples include subject–verb disagreement in “Petroleum product and Engineered goods was,” the malformed construction “was constituted the highest,” and tense inconsistency in “Gems and jewellery has been decreased.” Several clauses are joined with commas rather than correctly punctuated or linked, as in “it increased with 62 billions in 2016.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting, agreement, and complete sentence structures. A reliable pattern is: “X stood at about … in 2015, before rising to … in 2016.”

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