Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-04

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)

This chart displays information regarding the number of homes in the US by their yearly income in three distinct years; 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, it is clear that the households earning higher than $1lac income dominated the number in both 2007 and 2015. Meanwhile, the families earning an average income below $1lac remained constant in all three years only showing a minimal increase in 2015 and showed the least number.

There is a clear increase in the number of households earning an annual income of $100,000 or more, starting from below 30 million in the year 2007. It fluctuated a bit in 2011 to around 25 million in 2011 but clearly spiked to below 35 million in 2015. This is followed by the number of households earning an income between $75000 to$99999 which started feom a modest value of below 15 million in 2007, fluctuated minimally in 2011 and finished with 15 million in 2015.

In contrast, there is a fluctuation in the number of households earning income of less than$25000 starting from 25 million in 2007, fluctuating and ending with around 25 million in 20

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the trends for the highest and lowest income brackets. However, the analysis is incomplete as the response cuts off abruptly at the end, failing to describe the remaining income categories (e.g., $25,000–$49,999 and $50,000–$74,999). While the overview is clear, the lack of coverage for all data points prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure all categories are addressed and the summary is fully concluded.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, and there is a logical progression from the overview to the specific details. Cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'In contrast', and 'This is followed by' are used to link ideas. However, the abrupt ending of the text significantly impacts the overall coherence, as the final paragraph is incomplete and lacks a concluding sentence. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring the response is finished properly would enhance the score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'fluctuated', 'spiked', and 'modest value'. However, there are some informal or imprecise choices, such as '1lac' (which is not standard in IELTS Academic writing) and 'remained constant' when the data actually shows variation. There are also minor errors in formatting, such as missing spaces after currency symbols (e.g., '$25000'). To reach a higher band, use more precise academic vocabulary and ensure consistent formatting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'starting from below 30 million in the year 2007' (which lacks a clear subject) and 'feom' (a spelling error). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the incomplete final sentence is a major issue. While the meaning is usually clear, the frequency of errors and the unfinished nature of the text limit the score. Focusing on proofreading for small slips and ensuring complete sentence structures will help.

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

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