Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-02

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 pie chart illustrates the amount of households in the US measured in millions among their annual income during the period of 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the highest proportion of households were earing more than $100,000 annually making it the highest figure in period although it decreased in 2011. However, workers that earned between $75,000 and $99,999 were considered the lowest population which remained approximately constant .

In 2007, 29 million of households earned $100,000 or above making it the highest population before it slipped to 27 million in 2011 and rose again to approximately 33 million in 2015. Moreover, 27 and 25 million of household were classed next by earing $25,000 to $49,999 and less than $25,000 annually, these two were rose together which overtaken the $100,000 as the first and second largest population of households .

Furthermore, workers who earned $50,000 to $74,999 and $75,000 to $99,999 are considered the lowest proportion through the period. 21 million households were earing between $50,000 and $74,999 and remained constant through the period, however, the lowest proportion of households were earing between $75,000 and $99,999 and estimated around 14 million although it experienced some small fluctuation during the period .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons. You have identified the key trends for the income brackets. However, there are some inaccuracies in data interpretation; for instance, you state that the $100,000+ category was the 'highest population' in 2007, but the chart shows that the $25,000–$49,999 category was actually higher in that year. Additionally, the claim that the lower income brackets 'overtook' the highest bracket is not fully supported by the data provided. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are cited with greater precision and that comparisons are logically consistent with the visual information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' to signal shifts in focus. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the phrase 'these two were rose together'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related information, which helps the reader follow the development of your argument. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to the intended noun phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'proportion', 'fluctuation', and 'annually'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'earing' (instead of 'earning'), 'amount of households' (should be 'number of households'), and 'classed next by earing'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise terminology for describing trends and ensure that your spelling and word forms are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Although it experienced some small fluctuation during the period'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and tense consistency, such as 'these two were rose together' and 'workers that earned... were considered'. There are also minor punctuation issues and subject-verb agreement errors. While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing your control over complex structures and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy will help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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