User-written IELTS example
Writing Academic Task 1 Band 8.0 Example
Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.
Illustrative target band for this original model answer.
Plan your answer
Try your own response before reading the samples.
Ideas to explore
- Compare the largest category in each direction: aircraft parts are $72 million from the US to Vietnam, while coffee is $23 million from Vietnam to the US.
- Highlight the gap between the leading and smaller categories: US exports include other goods at $35 million and machinery at $30.5 million, while Vietnam’s garments and other exports are both $2 million.
- Point out close values where they help summarise the data: Vietnam’s seafood ($4.4 million) and rice ($4.3 million) are almost equal.
Suggested structure
- Paraphrase what the charts compare and state that values are in millions of dollars.
- Give an overview naming the leading category in each direction and any notable tie or overall contrast.
- Describe US-to-Vietnam exports from the largest value to the smallest.
- Describe Vietnam-to-US exports in descending order, grouping the close seafood and rice figures and the tied lowest figures.
Useful vocabulary & examples
- account for
- to make up or represent a stated amount or share
Aircraft parts account for $72 million of exports to Vietnam.
- be valued at
- to have a stated monetary value
Machinery is valued at $30.5 million.
- be tied at
- to have the same value as another category
Garments and other exports are tied at $2 million.
- followed by
- used to introduce the next item in a ranking
Coffee leads at $23 million, followed by fruit and vegetables at $16 million.
Task Prompt

User Essay Analysis
Review the public answer with report-style highlights.
The two pie charts illustrate the export values between Vietnam and the United States, measured in millions of dollars. Overall, Vietnam’s primary export to the US is coffee, whereas the US’s most significant export to Vietnam is aircraft parts, with a substantial difference in value between these top exports. Vietnam’s exports to the US are led by coffee, valued at $23 million. Fruit and vegetables are the second-largest category, at $16 million. Seafood and rice contribute $4.4 million and $4.3 million respectively, while garments and other exports are the smallest categories, at $2 million each. By contrast, US exports to Vietnam are led by aircraft parts, worth $72 million. The next largest category is Other, at $35 million, followed closely by machinery at $30.5 million. Fertiliser brings in $16.5 million, and cotton $12 million, while cars make up the smallest category, at $6 million. The leading US export is worth more than three times Vietnam’s leading export, a difference of $49 million. Both charts show one clearly dominant category, although the US’s next-largest export is worth considerably more than Vietnam’s second-largest.
Targeted Improvement Tips
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