Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-07

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 shows the number of domestic workers in the us by their yearly earning in 2007, 2011 and 2015

Overall, number of households who earn $100,000 or more is the highest in 2007 and 2015, while one who earns between $50,000-$74,999 remain the stable in all 3 years

one with earning of $100,000 or more is the highest in 2007 and 2015 with nearly 28 millions and roughly 33 millions respectively, followed by who make between $25,000-$49,999 remain the second highest in all 3 years with around 26 millions in 2007, 30 millions in 2011 and 28 millions in 2015

The one who salaried between $50,000-$74,999 remain relatively stable throughtout the end of the period with just above 20 millions, In contrast, one with less than $25,000 was around 25 millions at 2007 then slightly rose 2011 and then fell to around 27 millions in 2015, one betweeen $75,000-$99,999 remain the same in 3 year with slight dip in 2011

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main stable category and report several relevant comparisons, including the rise in households earning at least $100,000 by 2015 and the broadly unchanged figure for $50,000–$74,999. This gives the response a clear, relevant basis. Some details, however, are inaccurate or incomplete: the $100,000+ group was not the highest in 2007, when it was slightly above the $25,000–$49,999 group, and the latter was not second-highest in every year. The $75,000–$99,999 category did not remain the same throughout; it dipped slightly and then rose to about 15 million. Your overview also omits the notable 2011 peak in the two lower-income groups. More precise comparisons and a fuller overview would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs of supporting details. The information is generally grouped by income category, and phrases such as “In contrast” help signal a comparison. However, progression is weakened by repeated claims: the $100,000+ group is described as highest in both the overview and the next paragraph, while the second-highest ranking is also repeated. The final paragraph combines three categories in one long sentence, making the comparisons harder to follow. Some references, such as “one” and “who,” are unclear. Organise the details into clearer comparisons—for example, higher-income groups together and the remaining categories together—and use more precise references.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for describing chart data, including “remained stable,” “slightly rose,” “fell,” and “followed by.” These choices show an attempt to describe trends and rankings. However, the range is limited and several expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “domestic workers” for households, “yearly earning,” and “one who earns.” Repeated use of “one” also makes the description vague. There are spelling and form errors, including “throughtout” and “betweeen,” and “salaried” does not fit the intended meaning. Aim for accurate chart language and vary terms such as “households,” “income group,” and “number.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with comparisons, and the main trends can usually be understood. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in sentence structure and agreement. For example, “Overall, number of households” needs an article, while “one … remain” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The final paragraph joins several independent ideas with commas, creating a run-on sentence, and “then slightly rose 2011” lacks a necessary preposition. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, including “us” and the missing full stop after the introduction. Use shorter, complete sentences when comparing categories, check articles and verb forms, and punctuate each comparison clearly.

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