Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-19

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 number of households in the United States, measured in millions, across five different annual income groups in 2007, 2011, and 2015.

In conclusion, the number of households earning $ 100,000 or more increased considerably over the period and became the largest income group in 2015. In contrast, the figures for households earning between $ 75,000 and $ 99,999 the lowest throughout the period. Most of the other income groups showed only changes.

In 2007, approximately 25 million households earned less than $25,000 per year, while around 27 million were in the $25,000 - 49,999 group. The number of households was 21 million at $ 50,000 - 74,999. followed by approximately 15 million in the $75,000 - $ 99,999 category. While 30 million households made $100,000 or more.

In 2011, households rose to 29 million in the less than $25,000 group; they rose to 30 million in the $25,000 - $49,000 group. The number of household same as the 21 million in the $50,000 - $74,999 group, the same as in 2007 at 14 million in the $75,000 - $99,999 group. While 27 million households are in the $100,000 or more category.

In 2015, there were 28 million households in the less than $ 25,000 category and 29 million households in the $25,000 - $ 74,999 group. The same as in 2011, the 21 million in the $50,000 - $ 74,999 group, and the 15 million households in the $75,000 - $99,999 group. The household was the highest at 34 million in the $100,000 ar more group.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student attempts to address the prompt by reporting data across the three years for all income brackets. However, the structure is unusual as the overview is placed at the very beginning of the second paragraph rather than in the introduction, and it contains vague phrasing such as 'Most of the other income groups showed only changes.' While some data points are accurately reported, there are several inaccuracies or awkward groupings, such as in 2015 where the student states 'and 29 million households in the $25,000 - $ 74,999 group', which inappropriately combines two distinct income categories into one. Furthermore, minor numerical errors occur, such as stating 30 million in 2007 for the highest bracket when the chart indicates 29.5. The response covers the main trends but lacks precise and fully developed comparisons, leading to a band score of 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, attempting to separate the introduction, overview, and individual year details. However, the placement of the overview is unconventional. Progression is hindered by mechanical and sometimes faulty cohesive devices, such as dangling phrases ('followed by approximately 15 million') and abrupt transitions between paragraphs. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in sentences like 'The household was the highest at 34 million', which lacks clear subject-verb agreement and logical flow. Paragraphing is attempted but internal coherence within the body paragraphs is disrupted by list-like, disjointed reporting of isolated data points rather than smooth comparative analysis. Therefore, a band score of 5.0 is appropriate.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully utilizing terms such as 'illustrates', 'households', 'annual income', and 'category'. However, attempts at less common vocabulary or complex lexical phrases are frequently marred by awkward collocations or word choice errors, such as 'showed only changes' or 'ar more group' (typographical error). There are also repetitive structures in reporting data, and vocabulary control is limited. While the language is mostly understandable, these recurring lexical and mechanical errors restrict the score to a 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures frequently result in grammatical errors. Examples include sentence fragments ('The number of households was 21 million at $ 50,000 - 74,999. followed by approximately 15 million...'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the number of household same as the 21 million'), and missing elements ('While 30 million households made $100,000 or more', which is left as a dependent clause). Frequent errors in punctuation, prepositions, and verb forms cause occasional difficulty for the reader, matching the descriptor for a band 5.0.

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

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