Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-27
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 image illustrates total number of houses in United States and also differentiate them by their yearly income between four years of gap starting from 2007.
Overall, the bar graph compares the housing to financial capability of the population of US and as per the record in 2015 there were highest number of houses that had an annual pay more than 1 lakh dollars.
To begin with 2007, about 25-27 million households had 50 thousand of less salary in total and in 2011 this count of houses raised 30 million. Furthermore 20 million residency had a yearly pay between 50,000-80,000 dollars. Moreover, the population that had an income of 75,000-99,999 dollars annually were dramatically less (only 15 million) which remained the same even after 8 years. All these findings showed minor ups and downs in their ratios through passing years.
However, the quantity of homes with more than 100,000 dollar of income throughout the year kept of change every 4 years: 2007, 2011 and 2015 as 30, 27 and 33 million households respectively.
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 provides a general overview and identifies some key features, such as the highest income bracket in 2015. However, the analysis is inconsistent. The report lacks a clear, systematic comparison of the data across the three years. Some figures are mentioned, but the selection of data is somewhat disjointed, and the trends are not fully explored. For instance, the description of the '100,000 dollar' category is confusingly phrased, and the overall summary could be more precise in highlighting the most significant shifts or stable trends across the categories. To improve, ensure all data points are accurately represented and trends are clearly contrasted.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'To begin with' is used, but the subsequent logical flow between sentences is sometimes weak. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'All these findings showed minor ups and downs', which does not effectively synthesize the preceding information. The progression of ideas is present but could be smoother. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would help the response achieve a more professional, academic tone.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are some awkward phrasings, such as 'housing to financial capability' and '1 lakh dollars' (the latter is not standard in IELTS Academic). The term 'residency' is used incorrectly to refer to households. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is a reliance on basic descriptors. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to data reporting, such as 'proportion', 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', and 'income brackets'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'this count of houses raised 30 million' (should be 'rose to') and 'kept of change' (should be 'kept changing'). There are also issues with article usage and prepositions throughout the text. While the errors do not completely prevent understanding, they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of verb tenses when describing trends in charts.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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