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 given bar chart illustrates the number of US households in millions across different yearly income levels in the year 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, it is clear that the significant number of households income increased in 2015, whereas the lowest households income was noticeable in 2007.

In 2007, approximately 25 million households income recorded less than $25,000, whereas in 2011, it increased to 29 million. Moreover, around 27 million households yearly income between $25,000 to $49,000 in 2007, while in 2011, the households number was rose to 30 million. In addition, those annual income between $50,000 to $74,000 and $75,000 to $99,000, remained stable in both the year in 2007 and 2011. The income around $100,000 or more represented around 29 million households in 2007, following by 28 million in 2011.

The maximum number (33 million) of per house person income was $100,000 or above in 2015. In addition, salary from less than $25,000 was decreased by 29 million in 2011 to 27 million in 2015. Furthermore, salary between $25,000 to $49,000 also fell from 30 million households to 28 million households. Finally, yearly income $25,000 to $74,999 and $75,000 to $99,999 number of houses remain constant compare to last year in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the chart and provided relevant comparisons. You covered all three years and the various income brackets. However, the overview is somewhat vague; stating that income 'increased' or was 'lowest' is not precise enough for a data-driven task. Additionally, there are some inaccuracies in your data reporting, such as stating that the number of households earning less than $25,000 decreased 'by 29 million' to 27 million, which is mathematically incorrect. To reach a higher band, ensure your overview highlights the most significant trends (e.g., the shift toward higher income brackets over time) and double-check that your figures accurately reflect the data provided in the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on different time periods. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Furthermore', and 'whereas' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the progression within the second body paragraph is a bit disjointed due to the confusing data reporting mentioned earlier. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by grouping the data more effectively rather than listing figures chronologically, which can make the text feel like a list of numbers rather than a cohesive analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'recorded', 'remained stable', and 'constant'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'significant number of households income' and 'per house person income', which are not standard English. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology for data description, such as 'income bracket' or 'annual earnings'. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'the households number was rose to 30 million' contains a tense error, and 'following by 28 million' is grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'in both the year in 2007'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the general meaning, they occur frequently enough to limit your score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tense usage when describing past data.

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