Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-31

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 annual income of the US household in three different years (2007, 2011, and 2015), units measured in millions.

Overall, at the start of given period, the 100,000 Dollar bar dominated the chart, which experienced considerable drop in the next given year. However, it managed to acquired the dominancy at the final year. The household with the 75,000-99,000 dollar income remained lowest in chart with minimal fluctuations.

Households with the 25,000-49,000 Dollar annual income acquired the second place in 2007 with 27 million shares, which experienced dramatical surge in 2011, and attained the top position with 30 million shares. Whereas, household which spent the 75,000-99,000 dollars annually fluctuated only 1 point throughout these three years and ended up at the 15 million shares.

Houses with the 50,000-75,999 dollar, annual income remained constant at 21 millions shares, and remained at forth place throughout the period. Moreover, houses with more than the 100,000 dollar expenditure acquired the top position in 2007 with the 29 millions shares, which sank slightly in 2011, with the 28 millions houses. It experienced substantial growth and comprised all time highest rank with 33 million shares, in 2015 and dominate the whole table. In addition, household with less then the 25000 Dollar annual income climbed from 25 million to 28 million shares in 2011 and with slightly fluctuation ended up at 27 millions shares.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task and identifies key trends, such as the fluctuations in the 25,000-49,000 income bracket and the dominance of the highest income group. However, the analysis is slightly marred by inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, you describe the 100,000+ group as having 'expenditure' rather than income, and the data points mentioned (e.g., 30 million for the 25k-49k group in 2011) do not always align precisely with the provided chart. While the main features are highlighted, the lack of precision in reporting the figures prevents a higher band score. Ensure that you double-check the labels and values against the visual data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the trends. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Whereas', and 'Moreover' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of information is generally clear, moving from the overview to specific income categories. To improve, ensure that the referencing of data is more consistent and that the flow between sentences is smoother, avoiding repetitive structures when introducing new data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'attained', and 'substantial growth'. However, there are several instances of word choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'acquired the dominancy', 'dramatical surge', and confusing 'income' with 'expenditure'. Additionally, there are minor errors in word formation, such as 'less then' instead of 'less than'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over collocations and academic terminology to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles (e.g., 'the 100,000 Dollar bar'), subject-verb agreement, and tense consistency (e.g., 'managed to acquired'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances of unnecessary commas that disrupt the flow. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like pluralization and preposition usage, which currently occur frequently enough to be noticeable.

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

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