Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-31

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 chart below illustrate the number of individual in the US about their earnings in 2007,2011 and 2015.

In 2007,the graph is slightly going downward , 25 millions of people are suffering due to this hectic income,while in 2011 the graph is going into an abrupt change. It is going upward as compare to 2007.

In 2011, thirty millions of peeps annual income is going and it is slightly escalated as compare to 2007 graph . The income in enhancing while in 2007 ,it was the worst year for US citizens .And in 2011 US citizens were booming , they had enjoyed in 2011.

Now , lets see ,what happened in 2015.In 2015 US citizens enjoyed the boasting annual earnings ,It soared in 2015 ,the graph is going amazingly upward and it rocketed .More than 30 million individual are having joy as compare to 2007 and 2011. This shows us that in 2015 US citizens were up to the moon.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to accurately report the data presented in the chart. The student misinterprets the graph, describing it as 'going downward' or 'booming' rather than objectively reporting the specific income brackets and the number of households. The task requires a clear overview and a comparison of data points, but the student provides subjective, emotional commentary (e.g., 'US citizens were up to the moon') instead of factual analysis. Key features, such as the specific income categories (e.g., under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999), are completely ignored. The response lacks the necessary analytical approach required for an Academic Task 1 report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into paragraphs, which provides a basic structure. However, the progression of ideas is illogical and confusing. The use of cohesive devices is often inappropriate or mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'In 2011' and 'In 2015' to start sentences without clear logical links between the data points. The referencing is unclear, and the flow of information is hindered by the lack of a clear summary or comparison. The transition between paragraphs is weak, making the overall argument difficult to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and often inappropriate for an academic report. The student uses informal or non-standard language such as 'peeps', 'hectic', 'boasting', and 'up to the moon'. These choices are unsuitable for a formal task. There is a lack of precision in describing trends; instead of using standard terminology like 'increased', 'decreased', 'fluctuated', or 'remained stable', the student relies on vague and emotive descriptions. Spelling errors, such as 'illustrate' (should be 'illustrates') and 'millions' (should be 'million'), further detract from the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The chart below illustrate', 'thirty millions of peeps... is going'), incorrect verb tenses, and poor punctuation. The sentence structures are predominantly simple and often contain errors in basic syntax. There is little evidence of complex sentence structures, and when attempted, they are usually faulty. The frequent errors in pluralization and article usage make the text difficult to read and demonstrate a lack of control over basic grammatical rules.

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