Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-03
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 America and how much their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Overall, the highest share of household, this trend slightly declined then again reached first position. The second largest share of household, but it reached on their peak then they gradually declined.
To begin with, in USA who people annual income was 100,000$ or more which was the greatest share of household at approximately 30% in 2007. Then it marginally dropped in 2011, it increased to around 33% in 2011. The second biggest number of US household at 26% in 2007, then it increased to 30% in 2011 then slightly declined.
Turning to the next details, people who earned less than 25,000 dollar their number was 25% in 2007, it surged to approximately 30% in 2011. it decreased to around 27% in 2015. The lowest share of households at 15% in 2007, this trend experienced slight fluctuation in both years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the task by summarizing the main features of the chart. However, the analysis is hampered by significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, you state that the highest income group reached 33% in 2011, whereas the chart shows a different trend. Furthermore, the overview is vague and fails to clearly highlight the most significant trends or comparisons. While you identify the main categories, the lack of precision in data reporting and the failure to provide a clear, accurate summary of the overall trends mean that the task is only partially addressed. To improve, ensure that data points are read accurately from the chart and that the overview captures the most striking changes over the period.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is often unclear due to awkward phrasing and mechanical use of cohesive devices. Phrases like 'Turning to the next details' are used, but the connection between sentences is often weak. The referencing is sometimes confusing, particularly in the overview, where it is unclear which income group is being referred to. To improve, focus on using a wider range of linking words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that connects logically to the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There is a reliance on basic terminology, and some word choices are inaccurate, such as 'reached on their peak' and 'the number of households in the America'. There is also some repetition of words like 'share' and 'household'. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more varied and precise vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'experienced a significant increase', and ensure correct collocations are used throughout the report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'how much their annual income in 2007' (missing verb), 'in USA who people annual income was' (awkward syntax), and 'it increased to around 33% in 2011' (when the data does not support this). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction is often clumsy. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of relative clauses. Proofreading for basic sentence structure errors would significantly enhance the quality of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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