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 bar chart compares the number of households in the US by their yearly income in the year 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, the number of households with annual income greater than $100,000 was the highest in 2007 and 2015, while the figure for households annual income between $75,000 to $99,000 was the lowest in the given year. It is also noticeable that the figure for households between $50,000 to $74,999 yearly income remained stable during the years.

In terms of households, approximately 29 million households with annual income greater than $100,000 recorded in 2007, but this figure slightly decline to almost 27% in 2011. However, this category of households stood at just over 33 million during the year 2015, which was the highest figure. In contrast, household with annual income $75,000 to $99,000 remained lowest in 2007, 2011 and 2015, The figures were approximately 14, 13 and 15 million, respectively.

For the remaining figures, the figure for households annual income between $25,000 to $49,999 was higher in 2011 than in the other periods. The figure was almost 30 miilion households. In addition, the figure for households yearly inome $50,000 to $74,999 remained almost same in the three years and the number was just exceed 21 million households.Meanwhile households with less than $25,000 income category was 25, 28 and 27 million , respectively, during the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the chart and provided relevant comparisons. The overview clearly highlights the trends for the highest and lowest income brackets. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting. For example, you mention that the figure for households earning over $100,000 'slightly decline to almost 27%' in 2011; this is a misinterpretation of the data, as the chart shows a decline in the number of households, not a percentage. Additionally, there are minor inconsistencies in the data points cited, such as stating the $75,000-$99,000 category was the lowest, whereas the chart shows the $50,000-$74,999 category was actually lower in some years. More careful data extraction is required for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'However', and 'In addition' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group information by category. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by minor mechanical errors, such as the comma splice in the third paragraph ('...2015, The figures were...'). Referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother to ensure a more cohesive progression of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'recorded', 'category', and 'respectively'. There are some spelling errors, such as 'miilion' and 'inome', and some awkward phrasing like 'the number was just exceed'. While you attempt to use varied vocabulary, the inaccuracies in word choice and spelling prevent a higher band score. To improve, focus on using more precise reporting verbs and ensuring that your terminology for data trends (e.g., 'fluctuated', 'remained constant') is used accurately in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('household with annual income'), subject-verb agreement issues ('this figure slightly decline'), and punctuation errors. For instance, 'the number was just exceed 21 million' should be 'the number just exceeded 21 million'. These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To reach a higher band, focus on consistent verb tense usage and ensuring that complex sentence structures are grammatically sound.

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.