Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-05

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 numerous permanent residents in the US with their yearly revenue were generated in millions in the year of 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, the number of household earning $100,000 or more rose most markedly, while the lowest bracket, under $25,000, also grew steadily. the $25,000-$49,999 group remained constantly large, wheras the middle brackets grew only modestly.

In 2007, the $100,000 or more group was the largest at roughly 32 million households, followed by the $25,000-$49,999 brackets at about 28 million. Around 26 million households earned less than $25,000, while the $50,000-$74,999 and $75,000-$99,999 brackets were smaller, at approximately 22 million and 17 million repectively.

By 2011, the top brackets has edged up ton

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt only partially, primarily due to failing to meet the minimum word count requirement, as the text stops abruptly at 118 words and is cut off mid-sentence. While the introduction attempts to outline the subject matter of the bar chart, the body paragraphs do not provide a fully developed overview or complete reporting of all key features across the three years given. The data is partially presented, but the abrupt ending leaves significant portions of the chart unaddressed, resulting in a limited and under-developed response that affects overall task completion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response shows some basic organization with an introductory sentence and the beginning of body paragraphs, but there is no clear overall progression due to the incomplete nature of the writing. Paragraphing is attempted, but because the text cuts off early, the structure remains disjointed. Cohesive devices are used minimally, such as 'Overall' and 'while', but referencing and logical progression across the essay are disrupted by the abrupt stop, preventing the development of a fully coherent response.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for describing the chart, featuring attempts at terms like 'numerous permanent residents', 'yearly revenue', and 'brackets'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'yearly revenue were generated' and 'household earning', which detract from the precision of the data reporting. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the overall lexical range restricts the precision needed to effectively discuss statistical trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple or basic complex forms. There are noticeable errors in grammar, such as subject-verb agreement issues in 'the number of household earning' and tense inconsistencies like 'top brackets has edged up ton' where the sentence is unfinished and grammatically broken. Punctuation errors, such as missing capital letters at the beginning of sentences ('the $25,000-$49,999 group'), also occur, contributing to frequent errors that cause difficulty.

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

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