Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-25

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 the number of owners by in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Overall, in three years there are moderate changes in earning of households except people earning $25,000-$49,999.

In 2007, 25 million and 27 million households were earning less than $25,000 and between $25,000-$49,999, respectively. While in 2011, number to people increased to 29 million and 30 million house owners. However, this figures again declined slightly to 28 million and 29 million households.

Number of households whose annual income was $50,000-$74,999 remained unchanged in all the three years. People whose annual income was $75,000-$99,000 showed slight changes in all years from 14 million households in 2007 and that drop by 1 million, before rising to 15 million households in 2015. 29 million households in 2007 showed a noticeable drop in 2011 to 27 million households. However, people who earned $100,000 or more showed a significant rise in number of households in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report several relevant figures, including the unchanged $50,000–$74,999 group and the rise in households earning $100,000 or more by 2015. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: “except people earning $25,000–$49,999” suggests that this group did not follow the general pattern, although its figures also rise to 2011 and then fall slightly. The final comparison omits the 2015 value for the highest-income group, and the $75,000–$99,000 category is misstated (the chart says $75,000–$99,999). The response is also one word below the 150-word minimum; the 12 words copied from the prompt are excluded. Add a precise overview and complete the key comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, useful structure: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs describing the income groups. Time markers such as “In 2007,” “in 2011,” and “in 2015” help readers follow the data, and contrast words such as “However” signal changes. However, progression is uneven: the final paragraph jumps from the $75,000–$99,999 group to the highest-income group without a clear transition, and the last two sentences do not explicitly connect the 2007 and 2011 figures to the 2015 rise. Some linking is also awkward, as in “While in 2011,” which leaves the clause incomplete. Group related comparisons together and use clearer references to each income band.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “remained unchanged,” “declined slightly,” and “significant rise,” and the income ranges make the subject clear. However, word choice and collocation are often imprecise: “number of owners” is not the same as the chart’s number of households, while “number to people” and “house owners” are unnatural or inaccurate descriptions. “Moderate changes in earning” is also unclear, and “drop” is repeated without much variation. Use precise terms such as “households” consistently and choose verbs that describe the figures directly, for example, “increased,” “fell,” or “remained stable.” Check category labels carefully so that the income ranges are reported accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There are attempts at complex sentence forms, including the contrast introduced by “However” and the clause beginning “People whose annual income was…”. The main trends are generally understandable, but errors occur in sentence construction, agreement, and articles. For example, “While in 2011, number to people increased” is not a complete, well-formed clause; “this figures” has incorrect agreement; and “that drop by 1 million” uses the wrong verb form. The opening phrase “compares the number of owners by in the US” is also structurally confusing. Practise forming complete clauses and checking singular/plural agreement and tense consistency. More accurate control of these patterns would make the comparisons easier to follow.

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

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