Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-05
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 displays the data about the number of households in the United States in terms of five different annual income group in 2007, 2011, and 2015.
Overall, it can be seen that households earning above 100,000 is highest in both 2007 and 2015. Whereas, the least number households had an annual income between $75,000 and $99,999.
In 2007, there were approximately 25 million households had an annual income of less than 25,000 dollars. This figure rose to around 28 million in 2011 and fell to almost 26 million in 2015. For the group $25,000-$49,999, accounted for almost 26 million in 2007, escalated to around 30 million in 2011 and fell to almost 27 million in 2015. There was around 21 million households earning between 50,000 and 74,999 dollars, which remained unchanged throughout the period.
On the other hand, almost 14 million households had an annual income between 75,000 and 99,999 dollars, which plunged to around 13 million in 2011 and reached 15 million in 2015. Nevertheless, referencing to the group earning above 100,000, accounted for almost 29 million households, which slightly decreased to 26 million in 2011 and peaked at 33 million in 2015.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task and provides a clear overview of the main trends. You successfully identified the highest and lowest income brackets and tracked changes over the three years. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; you stated that households earning above $100,000 were the highest in 2007 and 2015, which is correct, but your claim that the $75,000-$99,999 group was the 'least number' is contradicted by the data, as the $50,000-$74,999 group was often lower or similar. To reach a higher band, ensure your summary accurately reflects the data presented in the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group data by income categories. Cohesive devices such as 'In 2007', 'On the other hand', and 'Nevertheless' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally awkward, such as 'referencing to the group earning above 100,000'. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns or cohesive markers refer clearly to the preceding information would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'escalated', 'plunged', and 'peaked' to describe trends effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'displays the data about' (better: 'illustrates the number of') and 'referencing to the group' (better: 'regarding the group'). While the vocabulary is adequate to convey the meaning clearly, more precise and varied lexical choices would help elevate the response to a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb agreement and sentence construction. For example, 'there were approximately 25 million households had' should be 'there were approximately 25 million households that had', and 'For the group $25,000-$49,999, accounted for' is a fragment that lacks a clear subject. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring every sentence has a clear main clause will improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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