Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-09

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)

This bar chart illustrates the count of US households by annual income from 2007 to 2015 over four years of gap in the time period. Overall, it is clearly seen that number of households less than 25,000 and 25,000-49,999 increases leads to slighter decrease whereas 50,000 remains constant throughout.

At the beginning of period, in 2007 number of households less than 25,000 and 25,000-49,999 millions was 25 and 26 which exceeded to 29 and 30 in 2011 and declined slightly to 28 and 29 in 2015.Particularly, the number of household at 20 millions by annual income of 75,000-99,999 remained unchanged throughout the whole period.

Consequently, two other households follow the same trend. The annual income by the households 50,000-74,999 and 100,000 or more number was at 14 and 29 million which decreased to 13 and 27 which was then followed by rose to 15 and 34 millions which is sharp increase.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a summary of the main features, but the analysis is hindered by inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the claim that the 50,000-74,999 category remained constant is contradicted by the chart, which shows fluctuations. Additionally, the description of the trends is sometimes confusing, such as the phrase 'increases leads to slighter decrease,' which lacks clarity. While the main features are identified, the lack of precision in data reporting and the failure to clearly distinguish between the different income brackets mean that the information is not fully accurate or well-supported. To improve, ensure that data points are transcribed correctly and that trends are described with greater clarity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is often disrupted by awkward phrasing and unclear referencing. For example, the transition 'Consequently, two other households follow the same trend' is confusing because the preceding sentence discusses a different income bracket, making the connection between ideas weak. Cohesive devices are used, but they are sometimes mechanical or misused, such as 'At the beginning of period,' which lacks the necessary article. The overall flow is hampered by these issues, making the relationship between the data points and the commentary less coherent than required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety needed for a higher score. There is a reliance on basic descriptors like 'increases' and 'decreased,' and some word choices are unnatural, such as 'count of US households' instead of 'number of US households' or 'four years of gap.' There are also issues with collocation, such as 'exceeded to,' which is not standard English. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, it does not demonstrate the flexibility or sophisticated control required for Band 7. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and nouns would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include missing articles ('At the beginning of period'), subject-verb agreement errors ('number of households... increases leads'), and awkward sentence construction ('The annual income by the households 50,000-74,999... was at 14'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the overall control of grammar is inconsistent. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction and ensure that subjects and verbs agree, and pay closer attention to the correct use of articles and prepositions in your descriptions.

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

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