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 given bar chart provides information about the number of household incomes at the period from 2007 to 2015 every four years in the US.

Overall, the number of incomes looked steady without any dramatic rise in each year. For example, at the beginning the incomes looks average, and did not had very big difference, except $75,000-$99,999. However, at the end, the number of households, did not significantly changed.

In 2007, the number of households whose income were less than $25,000 was 25 million, and after 4 years the bar rose steadily to about 28 million. However, the number of families in 2015 dropped to over 26 million. The number of households with income from $25,000 to $49,999, in 2007 was over 26 million. After some amount of time, the bar rose to about 29 million families, and by the end of the period, it decreased to over 27 million.

At the beginning, the number of households whose income were from $50,000 to $74,999, were much lower than other two incomes and had over 20 million. After 4 years it rose steadily to 22 million, and after another 4 years it fell to 20 million again. In addition, the number of families with an income from $75,000 to $99,999 were the smallest in comparison with other 3 incomes, , In 2007 it had over 14 million families, and did not grew until 2015. At the end it increased to about 15 million. In contrast, the number of households with an income from $100,000 and more, were the highest in comparison with other incomes. In 2007 it had over 29 million families, but in 2014 it had decreased to over 27 million. And in 2015 it dramatically rose to over 34 million families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task and identifies key trends across the three years. You successfully highlight the main features, such as the stability of most income brackets and the significant rise in the highest income category by 2015. However, the overview is slightly vague; phrases like 'looked steady' and 'did not significantly changed' lack precision. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview clearly summarizes the most striking trends rather than just stating that there were no dramatic rises. You have included relevant data points, but the analysis could be more concise to avoid repetitive phrasing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific income groups. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In 2007', 'However', and 'In contrast', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly repetitive. For instance, the phrase 'After 4 years' is used frequently, which makes the flow feel a bit predictable. Additionally, there are minor punctuation errors, such as the double comma in the third paragraph, which slightly disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dramatic rise', 'steadily', and 'in comparison with'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'number of household incomes' (you mean number of households) and 'did not grew' (should be 'did not grow'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your word forms are grammatically correct in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the number of households... were', 'the incomes looks average') and tense consistency (e.g., 'did not had', 'did not grew'). These errors are noticeable but do not generally impede communication. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement—remember that 'the number' is singular—and ensure consistent use of past tense when describing data from 2007 to 2015.

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

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