Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 chart compares the export earnings of a country with five product catagories in the year 2015 and 2016, in $ dollars. The table shows the percentage change in value between two years. Overall, petroleum amd engineered goods were the dominant export catagories.

First of all, petroleum products earns the highest earnings, with slightly increase of approximately 61$ billion dollars in 2015 to approximately 64$ billion dollars in 2016. In contrast, engineered goods were the second highest earnings with increases of approximately 59$ billion dollars to 61 billion dollars. The third highest earning was gems and jewellery that was approximately 43 billion dollars to decrease with approximately 41 billion dollars. On the other hand, agricultural products and textiles were almost same and a slight increase in agricultural products and in textiles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart and table and give a relevant overview that petroleum and engineered goods were the leading categories. You also report the main direction of change for the top three categories, broadly matching the data. However, the response only partially covers the task: the overview omits the notable rise in textiles, which had the largest percentage increase, and the final comparison of agriculture and textiles is vague rather than reporting their values or distinct changes. Some figures are also imprecise: petroleum is about $63 billion in 2016, not $64 billion, while engineered goods are about $62 billion, not $61 billion. The response is 18 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail provided. Include a fuller overview and specific comparisons for all categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by details about the categories. Sequencing the leading exports first and then mentioning the remaining products gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the body is presented as one paragraph, and the progression becomes less clear in the final sentence, where agriculture and textiles are grouped together without explaining their different values or changes. Connectors such as “First of all,” “In contrast,” and “On the other hand” are used, but some do not express a clear contrast between the data being compared. Use separate overview and detail paragraphs, and organise the figures by meaningful comparisons, with linking phrases that accurately show whether values rose, fell, or remained similar.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “export earnings,” “percentage change,” “dominant,” and “decrease,” so the topic is generally clear. There is some repetition of “approximately” and “earnings,” and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “with slightly increase” and “the second highest earnings.” Spelling errors in “catagories” and “amd” also reduce accuracy. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the main comparisons, but the range is limited and control is uneven. Aim for precise chart language and vary expressions for change and ranking. For example, describe a category as “recorded the highest export value” and say that its earnings “rose slightly,” rather than using an awkward noun phrase.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, including comparisons introduced by “In contrast” and “On the other hand.” The main information is usually understandable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction recur. For example, “petroleum products earns” should use a past-tense plural verb (“earned”), and “with slightly increase” needs a grammatical structure such as “with a slight increase.” The sentence about gems—“was approximately 43 billion dollars to decrease with approximately 41 billion dollars”—does not form a clear comparison; use “fell from approximately $43 billion to $41 billion.” Check tense consistency when describing past data, and build each comparison with a clear subject, verb, and from-to structure.

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