Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-12

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 image shows a bar graph that indicates the total amount of US households divided in four income categories for the years 2007, 2011, and 2015. The number of households with an annual income of less than $35,000 in 2007 was approximately 43 million, in 2011 was close to 45 million, and in 2015 was slightly over 42 million. The $35,000-$49,999 income group had about 25 million households in 2007, roughly 22 million in 2011, and nearly 20 million in 2015. The $50,000-$74,999 income category had around 28 million households in 2007, almost 27 million in 2011, and close to 25 million in 2015. Lastly, the $75,000-and-over income group had about 35 million households in 2007, approximately 38 million in 2011, and nearly 45 million in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to summarise the main features of the bar chart across the three designated years and reports data for all four income categories. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word length requirement, containing only 127 words compared to the required 150 words. Furthermore, while individual data points are cited, the report lacks a clear overall overview and fails to make meaningful comparisons between the categories as instructed by the prompt. For instance, the writer lists figures sequentially without highlighting key trends, such as the growth in the highest income bracket versus the fluctuation in the lowest. Because the response is under length and lacks a synthesised overview, Task Achievement is penalised and placed at Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is written as a single block of text rather than being divided into logical paragraphs, which negatively impacts overall structure and visual organisation. While there is a basic chronological progression moving from category to category, the lack of paragraphing means that cohesive devices and referencing are heavily strained. The student relies on repetitive sentence starters and transitions, such as repeatedly using 'in [year]', creating a mechanical flow that lacks flexibility. There is no clear separation between an introduction, body details, and an overview. Consequently, the coherence and cohesion of the writing fall into the Band 5.0 descriptor category, where organisation is limited and progression is hampered by poor structuring.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The lexical range demonstrated in the response is fairly limited and repetitive, with frequent reuse of terms like 'households', 'income', and specific numerical values. The writer attempts some basic vocabulary variation ('amount of US households', 'income categories', 'group'), but these choices show only a minimal range adequate for the task. There are no notable attempts at less common vocabulary or sophisticated paraphrasing of the prompt. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate, meaning communication is not impeded, which aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptor for lexical resource, even though the overall range remains restricted.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a fair level of grammatical accuracy, with many simple and compound sentences constructed correctly. The text features valid subject-verb structures, such as 'The number of households with an annual income of less than $35,000 in 2007 was approximately 43 million'. However, the grammatical range is limited; the writing consists almost entirely of simple statements describing individual data points, with virtually no complex sentence structures attempted. Although there are no major grammatical errors that impede communication, the lack of structural variety prevents the response from achieving a higher band. Therefore, a score of 5.5 is appropriate for grammatical range and accuracy.

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

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