Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

This chart illustrates the export valve of a country in five categories (petroleum products, engineered good, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles), while the table provides information on the percentage change in the categories between 2015 and 2016. All figures are measured in $ billions and percentage.

Overall, petroleum products had the highest rate in both years on the chart, while textiles had the lowest. Futhermore, other catergories shows a decline in their earning in both year. With regard to the table, taxtiles had the highest valves while agricultural products recorded the lowest and the other categories also showed a decline in the rest of the catergory in both years.

On the chart, petroleum had the highest earnings of about $62 billions in 2015 and approximately $62 billions in 2016, while textiles had the highest percentage rate of about 15.24 per cent on the table. Engineering goods recorded the second highest on both tables and year of about $58 billions and $62 billions respectively and 8.5 percant on the table.

The decline continued in gems and jewellery on both sides showing about $44 billions and $41 billion in both years while the table shows 5.18 percent. Futhermore, agricultural products shows approximately $32 billions and $32 billions respectively, while it recorded 0.81 percent on the table hitting the lowest category.

Textile had the lowest rate on the chart of about $27 billions and $31 billions in both years.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include figures for all five categories, but the overview contains major misreadings that make the main trends unclear. Textiles were the lowest-earning category, not the highest, and petroleum products were the highest; however, the table reports percentage changes, not “rates” or “valves.” The claim that other categories declined is also inaccurate: engineered goods, agricultural products and textiles increased, while only gems and jewellery fell. Some figures are close to the chart, but petroleum is about $61 billion in 2015 and $63 billion in 2016, rather than about $62 billion in both years. To improve, give a concise, accurate overview first, then compare the key rises and the one decline.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs of details. It also uses basic linking expressions such as “Overall,” “while” and “Furthermore.” However, the progression is weakened by repeated and sometimes contradictory statements. For example, the overview says textiles had the lowest earnings, then says they had the highest values in the table, and the final paragraph returns to textiles as the lowest chart category. The distinction between chart earnings and table percentage changes is not consistently maintained, so references such as “both sides” and “both tables and year” are unclear. Organise the details by trend or category, and use explicit references to the chart and table to make comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “export,” “percentage change,” “earnings” and “recorded,” so the topic is generally identifiable. However, word choice and spelling errors are frequent enough to make parts of the report difficult to interpret. Examples include “export valve” for “export value,” “taxtiles” for “textiles,” “percant” for “percent,” and “valves” where “values” is intended. Some expressions are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “highest rate” for the largest export value and “on both sides” for the two years. Build a reliable set of chart-description terms—“export earnings,” “rose,” “fell,” “remained stable,” and “percentage increase”—and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “while” and “with regard to,” and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, errors in agreement, tense and sentence construction recur. For instance, “other catergories shows” should use a plural verb, and “in both year” needs a plural noun. In “Engineering goods recorded the second highest on both tables and year,” the sentence structure does not clearly express what is being compared. There are also inconsistent forms in phrases such as “agricultural products shows.” Practise forming accurate comparisons with a clear subject and verb, for example, “Textile earnings rose from about $26 billion to $31.5 billion.” This would preserve your range while improving control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.