Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-08

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 chart illustrates the distribution of US resident households (in millions) based on their annual income for the year 2007, 2011 and 2015 with the annual salary ranging from below $25,000 to $100,000 or more.

Overall, the graph depicts increased in households number over the year. There is a stable increased in the number of people earning less than $25,000 and between $25,000 and $49,999 for the year 2007 and 2011 while both showed slight decline trend for the year 2015. However, both ranges of $75,000 and $1000,000 or more observed slight decline in their number for the year 2011 which eventually gained momentum for the year 2015. The $50,000 to $74,999 observed stablity throughout the years with no sign of growth or decline.

The year 2015 has demonstrated a good spike in the number of households with annual income of $100,000 or more it overshoot its number compared to the below $49,999 ranges similar to the year 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the income categories and years, and your overview correctly notes that the $50,000–$74,999 group stayed stable and that the $100,000-or-more group rose markedly by 2015. However, the overview is not consistently accurate: the $75,000–$99,999 category did not decline in 2011 and then rise; it dipped slightly from about 14.5 million to 14 million, then reached 15 million. The claim of a general increase also overlooks the mixed pattern across categories. Your final comparison is unclear: in 2015, the highest-income group exceeded each lower-income category, but this was not similar to 2007, when it was also the largest group but by a smaller margin. Include key figures and make the main comparisons more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a final comparison. This gives the reader some direction, and contrast markers such as “However” help signal changes. Nevertheless, the progression is limited because the overview combines several trends in a long sentence, while the final paragraph introduces a comparison without clearly explaining it. Phrases such as “both ranges” are also difficult to follow because they refer to categories with different patterns. Organise the body around clear comparisons—for example, the two lower-income groups, the middle categories, and the highest-income group—and use explicit references to each category. This would make the relationships between the data easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “distribution,” “stable,” “decline,” and “spike,” and the income ranges are generally identified clearly. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which makes some points harder to understand. “Stable increased” is contradictory, “households number” is awkward, and “observed stability” gives the categories an unnatural role as observers. “Overshoot its number” is also not an appropriate way to describe a figure exceeding another. There are spelling and form issues in “stablity” and “increased” where a noun is needed. Aim for precise reporting language such as “the number rose,” “remained stable,” and “was higher than,” while avoiding dramatic terms unless the data justify them.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “while” and “which,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in sentence structure and agreement recur. For example, “the graph depicts increased in households number” lacks a correctly formed noun phrase, while “There is a stable increased” has an incorrect construction. In “both ranges … observed slight decline,” the subject–verb relationship and article use are faulty. The final sentence also joins two ideas without clear punctuation: “or more it overshoot its number.” Use complete, controlled sentences, check singular and plural agreement, and separate comparisons with appropriate punctuation. More accurate sentence patterns would make your data descriptions clearer.

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