Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-11

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 graph depicts the number of families in the United States by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the annual income of households in the US shows fluctuation. Hence, the peack growth in the annual income of families is noticeable in 2015.

At a first glance, around 35 million families annual income were $1,00,000 or more in the US in 2015. In contrast, approximatly 28 million families were earning less than $25,000 in the same year. In addition, around 20 million familes were earning between $50,000 and $74,999 in all three years.

On the other hand, in 2007, mostly 30 million households were earning $1,00,000 or more, and 25 million households average annual income were less than $25,000. However, it is noticeable that so many families were earning between $25,000 and $49,999 in the 2011. Lastly, in 2011, around 14 million families had the lowest annual income compare with all the three years. The number shows between $75,000 and $99,999.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and include several relevant comparisons, such as the $100,000-or-more group reaching about 33.5 million in 2015 and the $50,000–$74,999 group remaining near 21 million. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: the chart shows household counts by income band, not income itself fluctuating, and the highest figure in 2015 is not a “peak growth” in income. Some comparisons are also misreported: the $75,000–$99,999 group was lowest in 2007, not 2011, while the 2011 figure was about 14 million. The $25,000–$49,999 group’s values are not clearly reported. Select the main trends accurately and distinguish changes in household numbers from changes in income.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs of details. It also attempts to guide the reader with phrases such as “In contrast,” “In addition,” and “On the other hand.” However, the progression is not consistently clear. The overview’s claim about “fluctuation” is vague, and the final paragraph moves between 2007 and 2011 without a clear organising principle. “Lastly” introduces a point that is not actually the final year, which weakens the sequence. Some linking phrases signal contrast where the relationship is not clearly contrasting. Group the figures by meaningful trends or compare the years systematically, and use transitions only when they accurately express the relationship between points.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “depicts,” “approximately,” “earning,” and “annual income,” and the income bands are generally identifiable. There is some variety in how you introduce comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are imprecise for describing this chart: “peak growth in the annual income” confuses household counts with income levels, while “mostly 30 million” and “families average annual income were” are awkward. Spelling errors such as “peack,” “approximatly,” and “familes” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise reporting language such as “the number of households rose to” or “the largest category was,” and check spelling and natural word combinations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex forms, including “Hence…” and the contrast introduced by “However,” and most of the intended comparisons can be understood. Nevertheless, sentence structures are often awkward or incomplete in their grammatical relationships. For example, “around 35 million families annual income were…” lacks a clear possessive or linking structure, and “25 million households average annual income were…” has a similar problem. In “the lowest annual income compare with all the three years,” the comparison is not grammatically formed. Work on sentence patterns for describing figures, such as “There were around 35 million households earning…” and “This was the lowest figure among the three years.” Greater control of these patterns will make your comparisons clearer.

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

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