Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-17
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 country exports in five categories during 2015 and 2016 , while the table shows the percentage of change in each category over this period.
Overall, petrolium products earned the most money in both years, while textiles had the lowest export value in 2015 .Export earnings increased in four out of five categories, with only gems and jewlery experiencing a decline.
Textiles recorded the largest percentage increase.
Petrolium products generated 60$ billion in 2015, and 63$ billion in 2016 with an increase of 3%.Similarly earnings from engineered goods grew from about 58$billion to 62$ billion, representing an kncrease of 8,5% rise
in contrast exporting gem and jewlery fell from approximiately 43$ billion to 41$ billion. recording a decrease of 5,18%.
Agricultural products remained relatively stalbe at around 31$ billion. Increasing slightly by 0,81%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main pattern accurately: petroleum products earned the most in both years, gems and jewellery declined, and textiles had the largest percentage rise. The figures you give for petroleum, engineered goods, gems and agricultural products are broadly consistent with the chart. However, the response is incomplete: it does not report the textile values, despite textiles being a key category and the largest percentage increase, and the overview’s claim that textiles were lowest applies only to 2015. The task also requires at least 150 words, and this response is 13 words short. Develop the missing comparison and include a fuller account of the main changes to address the task more completely.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, beginning with an introduction and overview before moving to category details. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Similarly,” and “In contrast” help signal comparisons. However, the progression is incomplete because textiles are mentioned in the overview but not described in the detail section, and the final agricultural point is left as a sentence fragment after the percentage change. Paragraphing and spacing are also inconsistent, with a line break splitting the data discussion. Group the categories more deliberately, keep related figures together, and use complete sentences so the reader can follow the comparisons without interruption.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant task vocabulary, including “export earnings,” “percentage increase,” “generated,” and “decline,” and these choices generally communicate the intended trends. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “petrolium,” “jewlery,” “kncrease,” “approximiately,” and “stalbe.” Some phrasing is also awkward, such as “the country exports” and “an increase of 3%,” where more precise collocations would improve clarity. The range is adequate for describing the chart, but repeated reliance on basic terms such as “increased” and “fell” limits flexibility. Check spelling carefully and use standard expressions such as “the country’s exports” and “rose by.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple statements and more developed comparisons, for example, “Petroleum products generated… and…,” and “while textiles had the lowest export value in 2015.” The main trends remain understandable, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation are frequent enough to make the writing less controlled. The agricultural detail, “Agricultural products remained relatively stable… Increasing slightly by 0,81%,” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Commas and full stops are often missing or misplaced, and spacing around punctuation is inconsistent. Practise joining each category’s value and change in a complete sentence, and proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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