Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-07

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 data depicts the number of households in the United States by their annual earnings during 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the households that earn the lowest income are higher in number, while average income based household groups are less in number during all three years.

In 2007, the population with annual income of less than $25,000 are little less than 30 millions which is highest number during that year, meanwhile, the families with earning between $75,000- $99,000 are less in number around less than 15 millions during this period which stayed relatively steady throughout the years.

During 2011, the households came under income of $25,000-$49,999 recorded highest in the year at almost 30 million. Furthermore, income range between $50,000-$74,999 recorded average number of households around 21 million in all three years.

The households with lowest income shows rise in number in 2015 at almost 33 million as compared to 2007, while all other income categories shows steady

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides a summary of the main features, but it is incomplete. The final sentence is cut off mid-thought, which prevents a full overview of the data. While you identify some key trends, such as the rise in the lowest income bracket, the analysis is somewhat superficial. To improve, ensure you cover all categories mentioned in the chart and provide a complete, coherent conclusion. The current response lacks a clear summary of the overall trends for all groups, and the abrupt ending significantly impacts the task completion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow is hindered by the incomplete final sentence. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'meanwhile,' which help link ideas, but the progression of information feels somewhat mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a concluding sentence makes the overall structure feel unfinished. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that the transition between ideas is smooth and logical throughout the entire response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on simple descriptors like 'highest number' and 'less in number' repeatedly. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'average income based household groups.' To improve, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'fluctuated,' 'remained stable,' or 'accounted for.' Expanding your range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' will help you express the trends more effectively and demonstrate a better command of academic English.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'the population... are little less' should be 'is a little less,' and 'households came under income' is grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentences are complete will significantly improve the clarity and accuracy of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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