Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-12

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 graph illustrates the number of families in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, the bar graph shows stability with a rising trend. There were a large number of households that had the highest income. However, mid-range income families experienced stability, and their numbers were lower.

To start with, in 2007, there were 25 million households that had an income below $25,000, and this slightly rose at around 30 million in 2011 and 2015. In 2007 and 2015, 27million families had $25,00-$49,999, which reached to30 million in 2011.

Furthermore, the mid-range income group of families experienced stability in all three years, with $50,000-$74,999 at 20 million. Similarly, the second highest stood at around 15 million with $75,000-$99,999 per year. Moreover, the highest income group earned the highest salaries

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified some main features, the analysis is incomplete. You mention the highest income group in the final sentence but fail to provide any data or trends for it, leaving the task unfinished. Furthermore, the overview is somewhat vague; stating there is a 'rising trend' is not fully supported by the data provided for all categories. To improve, ensure you cover all data points presented in the chart and provide a more detailed summary of the key trends, ensuring the response reaches the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. You use basic cohesive devices like 'To start with' and 'Furthermore', but the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. The final paragraph is particularly abrupt and lacks a clear conclusion or summary of the final data points. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects logically to the next, creating a more cohesive narrative throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'income group' and 'families'. There are also some minor errors in formatting and expression, such as '27million' (missing a space) and '$25,00-$49,999' (incorrect formatting). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'increase' or 'stability' and ensure that your numerical data is presented clearly and accurately without typographical errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'this slightly rose at around 30 million' is awkward; 'rose to' would be more appropriate. There are also issues with punctuation and spacing, such as 'reached to30 million'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall quality. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing trends in data. Proofreading for minor slips in spacing and punctuation is also essential.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.