Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-20

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 the earnings of a specific country from exports in five different categories in 2015 and 2016 and the table compares the percentage change in all categories of exports 2016 compared with 2015.

Overall, petroleum products and engineered goods accounted for the highest amount of export earnings, while agricultural and textile products earned the least amount of export revenue. Textiles' value increased the most, whereas engineered products' value decreased more than any other categories.

In 2015, petroleum products experienced the largest amount of export revenue, at around $61 billions, compared to engineered goods at approximately $57 billions and gems ad jewellery items at around $42 billions. Meanwhile agricultural and textile products earned the least amount, at around $31 billions and $27 billions respectively.

In 2016, the revenue of petroleum products increased by around $1 billion and engineered goods by about $4 billions. Gems ad jewellery items earnings decreased to around $41 billions. agricultural goods revenue remained stable, while textile products earnings increased to around $31 billions.

The percentages of petroleum, engineered and textile products increased in 2016 to 3%, 8.5% and 15.24% respectively, while

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main categories and report several relevant figures, including petroleum earnings of about $61 billion in 2015 and the rise in textiles to roughly $31 billion in 2016. However, the overview contains a significant trend error: engineered goods increased, rather than decreased, and gems and jewellery—not engineered goods—was the only category to fall. The overview also calls agricultural and textile products the lowest earners without clarifying that textiles rose substantially by 2016. The final sentence is unfinished, so the table’s decreases and the small agricultural increase are not fully reported. To strengthen the response, give a complete overview of the main trends and accurately compare the categories across both years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to separate descriptions of 2015 and 2016. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow. However, the progression is weakened by the unfinished final sentence, which ends with “while” and leaves the comparison incomplete. Some information is also repeated: the overview and later paragraphs both identify the leading categories, while the table’s changes are introduced only at the end. Organise the body around the main comparisons—largest earners, the one declining category, and the strongest growth—and use linking phrases to connect these points. This would create a clearer progression and make the comparisons more cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “export earnings,” “percentage change,” “increased,” “decreased,” and “remained stable.” These terms generally communicate the data clearly, and phrases such as “the largest amount of export revenue” show an attempt to vary expression. Some word choices and collocations are less natural or imprecise, however: “earned the least amount” is awkward for describing export values, and “the revenue of petroleum products” could be expressed more precisely. There are also spelling slips in “gems ad jewellery.” Aim for concise, accurate chart language and check spelling carefully; this will make the report sound more controlled without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a comparison with “while” and clauses introduced by “compared to.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “$61 billions” and “$4 billions” use an incorrect plural after a number, and “gems ad jewellery items earnings decreased” has an unclear noun structure. The final sentence is also incomplete, ending with “while,” which leaves its clause unfinished. Review plural forms with units, sentence completion, and punctuation. Building accurate comparisons such as “earnings rose from … to …, whereas … fell” would help you express the data more clearly.

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