Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-09
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 graph shows the values of exports earnings of a country during 2015 and 2016 in many categories. The proportion of textiles increased substantially by 15.24 %. However, there is a decline in the proportion of gems and jewellery by 5.18 %.
In other words, the export earnings of textiles rose remarkably, but the export earnings of gems and jewellery declined marking a shift.
The other categories like engineered goods, agricultural products and petroleum products also showed an increase in export earnings. The chart clarifies increase in petroleum products earnings by 3%, engineered goods by 8.5 % and agricultural products by 0.81%.
a crossover between the export earnings of gems and jewellery and textiles is noticeable in years 2015 and 2016.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify several relevant trends, including textiles’ strongest percentage rise (15.24%), the fall in gems and jewellery (5.18%), and increases in the other categories. However, the response does not give an adequate overview of the main export values: petroleum products and engineered goods were the two largest categories, while textiles rose from about $26 billion to $31.5 billion. The final observation about a crossover is relevant but would be clearer with the figures and an explanation that textiles overtook gems and jewellery. The response is also 29 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail and development of your summary. Include a concise overview and support key comparisons with approximate values.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the charts, mentions the largest percentage rise and fall, then covers the remaining categories. This gives the reader some organisation, but the progression is not fully clear because the second paragraph repeats the contrast already made in the first rather than adding a new feature. The final sentence about the crossover is separated from the figures that would explain it, and the lowercase opening “a crossover” also weakens presentation. Use a clear overview followed by grouped comparisons, and connect related information—for example, discuss the textiles increase alongside the fact that it overtook gems and jewellery.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “decline,” “increased substantially,” “export earnings,” and “crossover.” These choices communicate the main trends, and the percentage figures are expressed clearly. Some wording is imprecise or repetitive, however: “proportion of textiles” and “proportion of gems and jewellery” suggest shares rather than export values, while “marking a shift” is vague. “The graph shows the values of exports earnings” is also an awkward collocation. Aim for precise chart language such as “export value” and “rose,” and avoid repeating the same contrast in successive sentences. This would make the vocabulary more accurate and natural for describing data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You produce several understandable sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “However” and a sentence listing three categories. Most meanings remain clear, but grammatical control is uneven. In “The graph shows the values of exports earnings,” the noun phrase is not formed correctly; write “the value of the country’s exports.” The sentence “The chart clarifies increase in petroleum products earnings” is missing an article before “increase,” and the final sentence begins with a lowercase letter. There is also limited variety in sentence structure, with several short statements following a similar pattern. Practise accurate noun phrases and articles, and combine comparisons into well-controlled complex sentences.
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