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 bar chart illustrate the number of households in the us by their annual income in 2007 , 2011 , and 2015 .

to begin with , the number of us households in 2007 nearly 29 million . it is highest number us household by annual income . in additional , the the number of households in 2007 less than $25,000 .

moreover , the number of us household in 2011 significantly between 25,000 and 49,000 it was climbed approximately 30 millions .and in 2011, the number of households $ 75000 to $ 99,999 is lowest among all .

lastly , in 2015 the number of us households in $ 100,000 roughly 37 million which is arrived in level of peak. and $ 75,000 to 99,999 which was lowest among in 2015 .

in conclusion , the trend was highest in 2015 approximately 35 millions and the lowest trend was in 2011 nearly 15 millions .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to provide a clear overview of the main trends. While it identifies some specific figures, the information is often inaccurate or confusingly presented, such as the claim that 2015 reached a 'peak' of 37 million without clearly contrasting this with other years. The report lacks a coherent selection of key features, and the data points mentioned are often difficult to verify against the provided chart. To improve, you should focus on identifying the most significant changes over time and grouping the income brackets logically rather than listing isolated, sometimes unclear, statistics.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is disjointed. The use of cohesive devices like 'to begin with', 'moreover', and 'lastly' is mechanical and does not always logically connect the sentences. For example, the transition 'in additional' is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow. The referencing is also unclear; it is often difficult to determine which income bracket or year the sentences are referring to. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use linking words more naturally to guide the reader through your analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'number', 'highest', and 'lowest'. There are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'arrived in level of peak' and 'the trend was highest'. These errors occasionally make the meaning unclear. The response lacks the range of vocabulary needed to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'experienced a significant increase'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to data description and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are missing verbs (e.g., 'the number of us households in 2007 nearly 29 million'), incorrect verb tenses, and issues with sentence structure. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas and periods. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences with errors in basic subject-verb agreement. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and a correctly conjugated verb, and proofreading for punctuation errors.

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