Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-17
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 graph depicts the information about households in US based on their annual income in the year 2007, 2011 and 2015. The data of households is in millions.
In the the year of 2007, 2011, 2015 the number of households who were having annual income less then $25,000 was not having much difference the numbers were 25, 27 and 24 respectively the similar numbers were the for the households having annual income between $25,000-$49,999. Thereafter the households of the people have annual income between $50,000-$74,999 is about 21 million in all the three years.
Similarly, people who are earning $75,000-$99,999 per annum their household number is about 14 in the year 2007, 13 in the year of 2011 and 15 in 2015. Apart from this people who are earning $100,000 or more than this the numbers are having about similar numbers in the year 2007 and 2011 about 13.5 but in 2015 it increased to 34 million.
Overall the major rise has been seen in the households for the people earning $100,000 or more than this over the timeline.
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 the main features of the chart, including the trends across the three years. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing figures rather than synthesizing the data. While the overview identifies the significant rise in the highest income bracket, the description of the other categories is repetitive. The data for the $100,000+ category in 2015 is cited as 34 million, which appears to be a misinterpretation of the visual data provided in the prompt. Accuracy in reporting data is essential for this criterion, and this error impacts the overall quality of the summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally awkward, such as 'Apart from this' and 'Similarly'. The progression of ideas within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed, as the sentences often just list data points without clear logical links or comparisons. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal cohesion needs more variety and sophistication to move beyond a basic level of organization.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. There is a heavy reliance on basic phrasing like 'the number of households' and 'the year of'. The student struggles with collocations, such as 'the numbers were having about similar numbers', which is redundant and unnatural. There is little attempt to use less common vocabulary or precise terminology related to data description (e.g., 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'surged'). To improve, the student should focus on varying their word choice to avoid repetition and improve the flow of their writing.
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. Examples include 'the number of households who were having annual income less then $25,000 was not having much difference' and 'the similar numbers were the for the households'. The misuse of 'then' instead of 'than' and the awkward phrasing regarding the income brackets indicate a lack of control over sentence construction. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
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.