Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 compares numbers of US households in term of annual income between 2007 and 2015.

Overall, all categoties showed upward trends over the period. $100,000 or more remained the highest, while $75,000-99,999 recorded the lowest figure.

Firstly, in 2007 29 millions of US households are $100, 000 or more and recorded the highest one. $75,000-99,999 is 14 millions. Moreover, citizens who have annual income of $50,000-$74,999 is 21 millions. The salary group of $25,000-$49,999 is 27 millions. About 25 millions households had income less than $25,000.

Furthermore, in 2011 and 2015 income less than $25,000 is on 28 millions and 27 millions. $25,000-$49,999 was steadily increased during this period, 30 millions in 2011 and 27 millions people had it. $50,000-$74,999 was on 22 and 21 millions. $75,000-$99,999 is least common in all years it is on 14 and 15 millions in year 2011 and 2015. $100,000 or more is on 26 millions in 2011 and in 2015 it was on the peak 33 millions households a had annual income of $100,000 or more.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and include several relevant figures, such as the $50,000–$74,999 group staying around 21 million and the $100,000-or-more group reaching its highest point in 2015. However, the overview is inaccurate: it says all categories rose, although the middle-income group was stable, and the $75,000–$99,999 group did not remain the lowest in 2015 because the $50,000–$74,999 group was higher but the $75,000–$99,999 figure was still the lowest. Several figures are also misreported: for example, the 2015 $25,000–$49,999 figure is about 28.5 million, not 27 million. Select the main trends accurately and check each year’s values before comparing them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs covering 2007 and then 2011–2015. Sequencing words such as “Overall,” “Firstly,” and “Furthermore” help signal these stages. However, the progression is not consistently clear because the second body paragraph moves between income groups without a stable pattern, and some comparisons are difficult to follow. For instance, “$25,000-$49,999 was steadily increased during this period” is followed by two figures without clearly identifying which belongs to which year. Organise the details by income band or compare the same year across groups, and use clear references to each year so the reader can track the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “annual income,” “highest,” “lowest,” and “steadily increased,” and the income bands are generally identifiable. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing households. “Citizens who have annual income” and “people had it” refer to individuals rather than household counts, while “is on 28 millions” is not an appropriate way to report a figure. There are also spelling and formatting slips, including “categoties” and inconsistent presentation of income ranges. Use precise terms such as “households,” “stood at,” and “rose to,” and keep the income categories and monetary figures consistently formatted.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses mostly simple sentence patterns, with a few attempts to combine information using “while” and “Moreover.” However, grammatical control is uneven, and errors sometimes make the data relationships unclear. Examples include “29 millions of US households are $100, 000 or more,” where the verb and sentence structure do not express the intended meaning, and “$25,000-$49,999 was steadily increased,” which uses an incorrect passive form. Tense and agreement also shift, as in “$75,000-99,999 is 14 millions” and “households had income.” Practise reporting past data with consistent past-tense structures, such as “There were about 29 million households earning…” and “the figure rose to…”.

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

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