Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-07

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 graph chart illustrates the annual household earnings in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Overall, there is not much change occured from 2007 to 2011 except a bit rose in $25,000 area. But 2015 has a risen figure in every items. In year 2007 there was 25 million people who used to earn lower than 25 thousand dollars annually. But in 2011 it rose to nearly 30 million and reach the peak but drastically decreased by 2015. On the other hand the 25 to 50 thousand range was just above 25 million a years but with steady growth it reached 30 million on the age of 2011 but a slight dip occurs and it decreased to around 28 millions. The 50 to 75 thousand dollars group showed a steady and reliable feature and was moderate during the period. However, the 75 to 100 thousand dollars group was having around 14 millions of households in the year 2007 but dip by a bit in 2011 but in 2015 it was at the highest level by touching the milestone of 15 millions. On the contrary, 100 thousand and above was highest in 2007 among all but in 2011 it lose position to less than 25 thousand and 25 to 50 thousand groups although it get back it's first place in 2015 by reaching all time highest level breaking previous all records by reaching above 30 millions by the number of households.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided comparisons across the three years. You covered all income categories and highlighted the key shifts, such as the fluctuations in the lowest and highest income brackets. However, the response lacks a clear structure; it is presented as a single block of text rather than distinct paragraphs. Furthermore, there are some inaccuracies in data interpretation, such as referring to the year 2011 as an 'age' and describing the data points in a slightly confusing manner. To improve, ensure you group related information logically and use a clear overview paragraph to summarize the most significant trends before detailing specific data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is written as a single paragraph, which significantly hinders the logical flow and readability. While you attempt to use cohesive devices like 'On the other hand', 'However', and 'On the contrary', the lack of paragraphing makes the progression of ideas feel mechanical and cluttered. Cohesion is often faulty because the transitions between different income groups are abrupt. To reach a higher band, you must organize your report into a clear introduction, an overview, and at least two body paragraphs that group the data logically (e.g., by trends or income levels).

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks precision and variety. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'rose', 'decreased', and 'highest level'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'graph chart' (redundant), 'risen figure in every items' (grammatical error), and 'on the age of 2011'. To improve, try to use more sophisticated synonyms for trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'surpassed', and ensure you use nouns and verbs correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('there is not much change occured', 'it lose position') and incorrect pluralization ('every items', '28 millions'). You attempt some complex sentence structures, but they are often marred by errors, such as 'the 25 to 50 thousand range was just above 25 million a years'. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation detract from the overall quality. Focus on proofreading for tense consistency and plural forms.

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

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