Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 number of US households by annual income in year 2007,2011 and 2015.

Overall, the in year 2007 the income of around 25 million households was no more than $25000 and around 27 million households earned between $25000-$49999.Very few households earned from $75000-$99999 on the other hand approximately 29.5 million houseolds earned $[redacted phone] or more than that.But in year 2011 number of households earning no more than $25000 rose steadily to around 27 milliom while the number of households that earned from $25000 to $49999 climbed to 30 million. While the households that earned $50000-$74999 remained consisted.In 2015 households earning less than $25000 remained same and the ones earning $25000-$49999 also remained consistent but the number of households earning more than $[redacted phone] rose to approximately 33 million.

In contrast the households that earned less than $25000 rose from 25 million to 27 million from 2007 to 2015 while the ones earning less than $50000 remained same.The ones earning less than $74999 rose slightly but the ones earning $[redacted phone] or more rose from 25 million to 33 million households.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include several relevant figures, such as the rise in households earning $100,000 or more to about 33 million in 2015. However, the overview is not clearly separated from the year-by-year details, and some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. For example, the highest-income group was about 29.5 million in 2007, not 25 million as stated later, and the under-$25,000 group did not simply remain the same in 2015: it was about 28 million, compared with 25 million in 2007. The $50,000–$74,999 category stayed near 21 million throughout, while the $75,000–$99,999 group changed only slightly. A concise, accurate overview of these main patterns would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, moving from 2007 to 2011 and then 2015, and it uses linking expressions such as “Overall” and “In contrast.” However, the organisation does not consistently guide the reader through the main comparisons: the long middle section combines several years and categories, then the final paragraph repeats earlier information. Some links are also awkward or unclear, as in “But in year 2011” and “While the households…”. Grouping the figures by meaningful trends—for example, the two lower-income categories, the stable middle category, and the highest-income category—would create clearer progression. Use paragraphing to distinguish the overview from the supporting details, and avoid repeating comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant income and quantity vocabulary, including “households,” “earned,” “rose,” “climbed,” and “remained,” so the chart is generally understandable. The range is somewhat limited, however, and several expressions are imprecise or repeated. “The income of around 25 million households” confuses household numbers with income levels; “the number of households in this income group” is clearer. “Remained consisted” is not an appropriate expression, and “rose steadily” suggests a pattern that the chart’s three snapshots do not establish. Spelling slips such as “houseolds” and “milliom” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “stood at,” “increased to,” and “was broadly unchanged,” while checking spelling and avoiding repeated “the ones.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the reader can usually follow the intended comparisons. However, sentence control is uneven, particularly in the long overview, where several clauses are joined without clear punctuation. For example, “Overall, the in year 2007…” has an awkward sentence structure, and “But in year 2011 number of households…” is missing an article before “number.” The sentence beginning “While the households…” is a fragment, and “the number … remained consisted” has an incorrect grammatical construction. Commas and spaces are also missing around some year and figure references. Build shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas with accurate subordinate clauses; check articles, verb forms, and punctuation during revision.

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