Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-15

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 illustrates information about the value of one country's exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The figures are given in billions. While the table dipicts the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.The figures of table are given in millions.

Overall, it is immediately apparent that the two categories reveal clear differences regarding the given topics. while bar chart illustrates export earning, the table indicates the changes in percentage. In general, petroleum products recorded the highest in the export earnings, whereas from table textiles recorded the highest in the percentage changes.

According to the chart, the petroleum products recorded 60 billion in 2015, and over 60 billion in 2016, making it the highest figure among all the categories. This was followed by the engineered goods which stood at 61 billion in 2016, while recorded at 47 billion in 2015. By contrast, the textiles acounted for only 31 billion in 2016, and 27 billion in 2015 making it the least significant category. Furthermore, the germs and jewellery category recorded at 40 billion in 2016, and over 40 billion in 2015. The agriculture products acounted for 30 billion and slightly over 30 billion in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

Turning to the table, the textiles recorded at 15.24%, making it the highest change in percentage values, whereas the engineered goods acounted at 8.5% making it the second highest category in percenage changes value.On the other hand, the gems and jewellery dropped significantly to 5.18%. While the petroleum products recorded at 3% which makes it least significant. The agricultural products remained at 0.18%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both the chart and the table and identify important overall features: petroleum products lead export earnings, while textiles show the largest percentage increase. Most chart figures are broadly close to the visual, and you correctly note the decline in gems and jewellery. However, some details are inaccurate: engineered goods were about 57 billion in 2015, not 47 billion, and agricultural products changed by 0.81%, not 0.18%. The table reports percentages, not millions, and the overview’s claim that the categories “reveal clear differences” is vague. To strengthen the response, check each figure against the visual and give a more precise overview of the main rises, the one decline, and the relative export values.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to chart details and then table details. Phrases such as “According to the chart” and “Turning to the table” help signal these sections. However, progression within the overview is less clear: “the two categories reveal clear differences regarding the given topics” does not explain the comparison, and the sentence beginning “while bar chart illustrates” repeats information rather than advancing the summary. Some linking is mechanical, with repeated “whereas,” “while,” and “making it.” Improve cohesion by grouping related comparisons and using clear references, for example, contrasting the four rising categories with the fall in gems and jewellery. Check punctuation at sentence boundaries, especially where a full stop is followed immediately by “The”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “export earnings,” “percentage change,” “recorded,” and “stood at,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive. “The figures of table” and “recorded at” are unnatural, while “least significant category” is imprecise when you mean the lowest export value. There are also spelling errors, including “dipicts,” “acounted,” “germs,” and “percenage,” which reduce accuracy. The phrase “clear differences regarding the given topics” is vague rather than analytical. Aim for precise reporting language such as “export value,” “rose to,” “fell by,” and “accounted for,” and proofread spelling and category names carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “whereas” and clauses beginning “making it.” The overall meaning is usually clear, but some grammatical errors recur. In the introduction, a full stop separates “compared with 2015” from “The figures,” while the preceding sentence lacks a space after the full stop. The fragment “while bar chart illustrates…” needs a capital letter and a complete sentence structure. There are also problems with articles and sentence construction in phrases such as “the engineered goods which stood at 61 billion in 2016, while recorded at 47 billion in 2015.” Use parallel clauses, for example, “Engineered goods stood at about 57 billion in 2015 and 62 billion in 2016.” More consistent punctuation and complete, balanced comparisons would improve control.

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