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 chart illustrates the number of households in the US by their annual income in 3 different years.
Overall, the number of households with annual income of $100,000 was at around 29 million which grew significantly to 33 million households in 2015. Households with income 75000-$99999 remained almost same during the given years. The households with annual income of %50000-$74999 remained lowest compared with all the others.
The households with annual income of %75000-$99999 remained lowest during all three years with around 15 million households whereas the households with annual income of $[redacted phone] marked highest in 2015. The households with annual income of less than $25000 was 25 million and it grew marginally to approximately 28 million in 2011. It experienced a fall in 2015 and recorded 26 million.
The households with annual salary of $25000-$49999 was recorded 26 million in 2007. It grew dramatically to 30 million in 2011 and fell to 27 million dollars by the end of the given period. The households with annual income of %50000-$74999 remained approximately same during the given years.
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 there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For example, you state that the $50,000–$74,999 category remained the lowest, which contradicts the visual data. Additionally, you mention that the $100,000+ category was at 29 million in 2007, whereas the chart shows it was closer to 28 million. The summary of trends is somewhat confused, particularly regarding which categories were the highest or lowest. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference the data points with the axes and legend before writing, as accuracy is a key component of Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction followed by body paragraphs. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by contradictory statements. While you use some cohesive devices like 'whereas' and 'in addition', the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as when you refer to 'all the others' without clearly defining the comparison group. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one and that your comparisons are clearly linked to the specific data categories mentioned.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'marginally', 'dramatically', and 'recorded'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and formatting, such as the repeated use of the percentage symbol (%) before dollar amounts, which is incorrect. There is also a minor error where you refer to '30 million in 2011 and fell to 27 million dollars'—the unit is households, not dollars. To improve, focus on using precise terminology for data trends and ensure that units of measurement are used correctly throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'remained lowest compared with all the others' (missing 'the' before 'lowest') and 'remained almost same' (missing 'the' before 'same'). Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent, for example, 'The households... was recorded'. These errors occur frequently but do not prevent the reader from understanding the overall message. To improve, proofread your work specifically for articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement to ensure greater accuracy in your complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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