Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-03
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 proportion of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Overall, it can be seen that the annual income around 100,000$ or more accounted for the largest proportion in 2007 and 2015. While 75,000$ to 99,999$ exprienced the lowest shares in followed years. In addition 50,000$ to 74,999$ remained constant throughout the years.
In 2007 annual income of 100,000$ or more experienced the highest shares at 30%, it proportion slightly fell in 2011 to 28% and then increased marginally to 33% in 2015. The annual income of less than 25,000$ exprienced some fluctuations throughout the period. In contrast the figures of 50,000$ to 74,999$ remained the same proportions at 20% in 2007,2011 and 2015.
On the other hand, in 2007 the annual income of 25,000$ to 49,000$ had a second largest proportion at 27%, which is increased marginally to 30% in 2011, then slightly declined to 28% in 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 addresses the main features of the chart, noting top categories and general trends, but the length requirement was not met as the text falls short of the 150-word minimum (excluding words copied from the prompt). Furthermore, the student inaccurately refers to the data as proportions and percentages rather than millions of households, which misinterprets the scale of the vertical axis. While an overview is attempted, ideas remain partially developed and key comparisons between groups are somewhat limited.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is a basic logical arrangement and the text is broken into paragraphs, presenting an overall progression. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of sequencing phrases without smooth transitions. Referencing between sentences lacks precision, making the flow occasionally disjointed. Paragraphing is present, but grouping of information could be managed more logically to enhance the overall structure.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, with attempts at less common items such as 'fluctuations', 'proportion', and 'marginal'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, such as repeatedly misusing 'proportion' and percentages for absolute numbers, alongside spelling errors like 'exprienced'. Word choice is sometimes restricted or imprecise, causing occasional difficulty for the reader in fully grasping the exact data points intended.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms that often contain errors, such as missing prepositions or awkward phrasing like 'which is increased marginally'. There are frequent errors in punctuation and grammatical patterns, including currency symbol placement ('100,000$'), which can cause some difficulty for the reader, although communication is generally maintained.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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