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 bar chart illustrates the number of households in the USA by their yearly earnings over an 8-year period, starting from 2007.
Overall, it can be seen that most earnings household is $100,000 or more group, $25,00-$49,000 showed some fluctuation and other groups was remained the same.
Looking at the data in more details, it is evident that less than $25,000 begins with 25 million in 2007 to approximately 28 million in 2011, then it dipped slightly to about 27 million in 2015. Similarly, households with income range of $25,000-$49,999 grew 27 million to almost 30 million by 2007 to 2011, then it fell into 28 million in 2015.
Turning to remaining data sets, it can be seen that $100 or more is the highest number of households over these periods, which is first 29 million in 2007 and after a little increase about 28 million in 2011 it reached at its peak at about 34 million, by 2015. However, other two income, $50,000-$74,999 and $75,000-$99,999 were stay constant.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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, but the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. While you identify the highest income group and some trends, the description of the data is occasionally inaccurate (e.g., stating the $100,000+ group was 28 million in 2011 when the chart shows a different figure). The 'Overview' is a bit confusingly phrased, particularly the claim that other groups 'remained the same,' which contradicts the data for the $25,000-$49,999 category. To improve, ensure you carefully verify the data points and provide a more precise summary of the overall trends rather than just listing individual figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Looking at the data in more details' and 'Turning to remaining data sets' to transition between ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical errors in referencing. For example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is clearly established through more sophisticated cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the trends (e.g., 'fluctuation', 'dipped', 'peak'). However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'most earnings household' instead of 'highest-earning households' and 'other two income... were stay constant' instead of 'remained constant'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. To improve, try to incorporate more precise terminology for describing trends, such as 'marginal increase', 'significant decline', or 'remained stable', and pay closer attention to word forms and collocations.
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 'other groups was remained the same' (subject-verb agreement and tense error) and 'grew 27 million to almost 30 million by 2007 to 2011' (preposition and structure issues). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and currency formatting. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tenses when describing past data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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