Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-28
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 changes in the number of households in the US across five annual income categories in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Overall, it is evident that the figures varied considerably across the categories, with some categories recording higher figures, while others registered the lowest figure. Some remained comparatively stable over the given period.
Looking at the details, the number of households earning less than $25,000 stood at precisely 25 million in 2007. Thereafter, in 2011, this category rose to approximately 28 million, after which it fell to just under 26 million in 2015. Furthermore, in 2015, the number of households earning $100,000 or more increased significantly to slightly above 33 million, while the previous categories had comparatively lowest figures. Moreover, the number of households earning $50,000-$74,999 remained relatively stable at exactly 21 million over the given period.
Looking most closely at the data, in 2011, the number of households earning $25,000-$49,999 recorded the highest figure, at just over 30 million. On the other hand, in 2007 and 2015 this category recorded comparatively the lowest figure. Subsequently, the number of households earning $75,000-$99,999 to approximately 14 million in 2007, before felling to roughly 13 million in 2011 and then rose to exactly 15 million.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student covers all parts of the task by reporting data across the five income categories and three years. An overview is attempted, noting that figures varied across categories and some remained stable. However, the overview is rather vague and lacks specific highlights of the overall trends. While main features such as the stability of the $50,000-$74,999 group at 21 million are reported accurately, some data points contain minor inaccuracies when compared against the visual data (for instance, stating that households earning $25,000-$49,999 recorded the highest figure in 2011 at 'just over 30 million' when the chart shows roughly 29.5 million, and misinterpreting trends in the final paragraph). Despite these minor data reading errors, the response successfully addresses the core requirements of Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is arranged into a logical paragraph structure, moving from an introduction to an overview, and then into detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions, such as 'Overall', 'Looking at the details', and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and progression become somewhat faulty and mechanical in the final paragraph, where sentences like 'Subsequently, the number of households earning $75,000-$99,999 to approximately 14 million' lack a main verb and disrupt the logical flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and body details, but the overall coherence is occasionally hindered by awkward transitions and grammatical slips.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully employing terms such as 'illustrates', 'categories', 'comparatively stable', and 'significantly'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and phraseology, though some word choices are imprecise or awkward, such as 'recording higher figures, while others registered the lowest figure'. Furthermore, there is a word-formation/collocation error in the final paragraph with the use of the non-standard verb form 'felling' instead of 'falling'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, placing the response solidly in Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. There are several error-free sentences, particularly in the opening paragraphs, such as 'The bar chart illustrates changes in the number of households in the US across five annual income categories in 2007, 2011 and 2015.' However, grammatical accuracy drops in the later sections. Notably, the sentence 'Subsequently, the number of households earning $75,000-$99,999 to approximately 14 million in 2007, before felling to roughly 13 million...' lacks a main verb after the subject and contains a tense/form error ('felling'). Punctuation is mostly acceptable, but the frequency of grammatical slips in complex structures prevents a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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