Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given bar charts compare the changes number of households in different regions in US for a period in near one decade.

It is seen from the chart hightest income growth $100,000 or more dipped slightly in 2011 before rising to the hightest single goup total in 2015.

Moreover, Middle income stability 21 million and 14-15 million household respectively. In addition, lower income household earning $25000 to $ 49,999 peaked in 2011beforereturning to 2007levels in 2015

Overview, the highest income bracket ( $100,000 or more) and the two lowest income groups (under $ 50,000) accounted for the largest numbers of household throughtoutthe period. In contrast, the two middle income brackets cknsistently had smallest figuresand showes almost no change over eight year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant patterns, including the rise and fall of the $100,000-plus group and the stability of the $50,000–$74,999 category. However, the response only partially reports the chart: it gives almost no specific figures, and the claim that the two middle brackets had the smallest totals is inaccurate, since the $75,000–$99,999 group was the smallest, while the $50,000–$74,999 group was higher. The overview also says the two lowest groups had the largest numbers throughout, although the highest-income group was largest in 2007 and 2015. The response is 121 words, below the required 150, which limits the detail available. Include a fuller account of the main comparisons and accurate approximate values.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is an attempt to group the information into observations and an overview, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “In addition” show an effort to connect points. However, the progression is difficult to follow: the overview appears at the end, and the opening sentence does not clearly introduce the chart’s categories or period. Several statements are compressed or run together, such as “Middle income stability 21 million and 14-15 million household respectively” and “peaked in 2011beforereturning.” This makes relationships between the figures unclear. Organise the response into a clear introduction, an overview, and one or two detail paragraphs, using complete sentences and links that show comparison or change.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “income bracket,” “peaked,” “dipped,” and “stability,” which helps communicate broad trends. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning hard to interpret. For example, “different regions” misidentifies the chart’s categories, which are income groups, and “highest income growth” is unclear because the chart shows household numbers rather than income growth. Spelling errors such as “hightest,” “goup,” and “throughtout” also reduce clarity. Aim for precise terms such as “income category,” “number of households,” and “rose,” and check spelling and spacing carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few different sentence patterns, including a contrast with “In contrast” and a clause describing the highest-income group’s movement. However, grammatical control is uneven, and several sentences are incomplete or difficult to parse. “It is seen from the chart hightest income growth…” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “Middle income stability 21 million and 14-15 million household respectively” is a fragment without a main verb. The opening also needs a possessive construction and clearer phrasing (“the number of households in the US”). There are problems with articles, plurals, and punctuation, including “household” where plural is needed and missing spaces around sentence boundaries. Build complete subject–verb sentences and proofread each one.

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