Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-11
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 comparison of the number of households (in millions) in US, earning from 25,000 up to 100,000, in 2007, 2011, and 2015.
Overall, the number of people, having 1 lac income, rose significantly, and was the dominant group by 2015. However, other groups also saw slight ups and downs so far.
By 2007, majority of the households ( around 30 million) fell under the category, having 1 lac salary. This was followed by households, getting 25k to 50k, accounting for just above 25 million. The number of households, earning 50k to 74,999 and 75k to 99,999, were relatively minor, making a number 20M and 15M respectively.
Despite a small decrease in 2011, number of people earning upto 1 lac rose significantly, peaking at around 35M by 2015. However, the number for wages (from 50 to 1 lac), remained same. Apart from a gradual increase in 2011, 25k to 49,999 dropped to just below 30M by 2015.
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 provides a general overview and identifies some key trends. However, the analysis is hampered by inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, you describe the '100,000+' group as having '1 lac' income, which is confusing terminology in an international context. Furthermore, the statement that the number of households earning '50k to 1 lac' remained the same is not supported by the visual data, which shows clear fluctuations. While you have selected the main features, the lack of precision in reporting the figures and the misinterpretation of specific trends prevent this from reaching a higher band. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your descriptions with the actual data points provided in the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. There is a clear progression of ideas, moving from the 2007 data to the changes observed by 2015. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However,' 'Despite,' and 'Apart from,' which help link your sentences. However, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the income categories, which makes the flow feel slightly mechanical. To improve, ensure that your transitions between sentences are smoother and that you clearly define the categories you are comparing to avoid ambiguity for the reader.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher score. The use of '1 lac' is inappropriate for an IELTS Academic task, as it is a regional term rather than standard international English. Additionally, phrases like 'making a number 20M' are slightly awkward and unnatural. You attempt to use some descriptive verbs like 'peaking' and 'rose significantly,' which is positive. To improve, focus on using standard numerical terminology and more sophisticated collocations to describe trends, such as 'remained stable' or 'experienced a marginal decline' rather than 'ups and downs.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'majority of the households... fell under the category' (missing an article 'the') and 'number for wages... remained same' (missing 'the'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances where commas are used incorrectly or omitted, affecting readability. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit your score. To improve, focus on article usage (a/an/the) and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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