Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-03
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 provides information on the number of households in the US by their annual income in the years 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Overall, the greatest of households had $100,000 or more income, this criteria clearly dominated the graph in 3 years. Furthermore, the least number of households had $75,000-$99,999 income.
Firstly, in the year 2007 the highest number of households, that is about 30 million, had an income of $100,000 or more. The second highest number of households are around 27 million which had an income between $25,000-$50,000. Moving forward, to the third highest that is 25 million households with less than $25,000. The second lowest in the graph is with income of $50,000-$74,000 with 22 million households. Whereas, the least number of households, that is 14 million households had an income of $75000-$99,999.
Moreover, in 2011, the graphs had increase for the incomes below $50,000 while, income $75,000 and more had seen a decline in chart. Finally, in the year 2015 income $100,000 topped the chart with around 34 million households whereas, the income $75,000-$99,999 remains the least.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data, identifying the highest and lowest income brackets across the three years. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, focusing heavily on listing figures rather than synthesizing trends. While the overview identifies the dominant category, it lacks a more nuanced comparison of how the distribution changed over time. The description of 2011 and 2015 is quite brief compared to the detailed breakdown of 2007, leading to an imbalance in the reporting of the data. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping similar data points and highlighting significant shifts or stability across the entire period.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moving forward', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly forced or repetitive, and the referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'the graphs had increase'). The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the connection between the 2007 data and the subsequent years could be smoother to improve the overall flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication of the data. You use some relevant terms like 'income', 'households', and 'declined'. However, the lexical range is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying on basic phrasing such as 'highest number of households' and 'least number of households'. There are also minor inaccuracies, such as 'this criteria' (should be 'criterion') and 'the graphs had increase' (should be 'the number of households increased'). Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise descriptors for trends would improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('the second highest number of households are around 27 million') and awkward phrasing ('the graphs had increase for the incomes'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the control over complex structures is inconsistent. To improve, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining the use of articles and prepositions to ensure more error-free sentences.
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