Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-26

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 illustrates the number of households in the united states. Graoh indicates their yearly income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, $100,000 or more annual income households in 2015 are more than compared to other years. People who has a annual income betweeen $75000 and $99,999 are low in all three years.

Firstly, yearly income with less than $25,000 households are only 25 million in US. While in 2011 they are slightly increased to 29 million and again in 2015, households are marginal change that it becomes to 28 million. People who are households with the income of $25000 - $49,000 are 27 millions in 2007 , it changes to 28million in 2011 and again it decrease with small change 28million.

Secondly, US households with yearly package $50,000 - $74,999 are 21 million in 2007 , again it just increase with 1 million by 2011 and remains also same in 2014. Income between $50,000 - $74,999 households are 14 million in 2007 and in 2011 it becomes decreases to 13million. However it increses again to 15 million in 2015. Finally, households who has income of $100,000 or more than that are 29 millions in 2007 with the second highest in overall comparison and it slightly decresed to 27million. Moreover, in 2015 it reaches to 33million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give an overview that correctly notes the strong 2015 result for households earning at least $100,000 and the relatively low figures for the $75,000–$99,999 group. However, the overview is incomplete: the $25,000–$49,999 group is also among the largest, and the $50,000–$74,999 category is notably stable. Several details are inaccurate or confused. For example, the $25,000–$49,999 figure is about 29.5 million in 2011 and 28.5 million in 2015, not 28 million in both years. The paragraph describing the $75,000–$99,999 group mistakenly labels it as $50,000–$74,999, and gives incorrect 2011 data. Select the main patterns and check each figure against its income band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Finally” help signal movement through the data. However, progression is weakened by unclear references and repetition. The second detail paragraph first discusses the $50,000–$74,999 group, then says “Income between $50,000 - $74,999” while giving figures that belong to the $75,000–$99,999 group. This makes it difficult to follow which category is being described. Some links, such as “Moreover,” do not add a clear relationship between ideas. Grouping the categories accurately and comparing related trends within each paragraph would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “households,” “annual income,” “increased,” and “decreased,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, such as “yearly package,” “marginal change that it becomes to,” and “are low in all three years.” Spelling errors, including “Graoh,” “betweeen,” “increses,” and “decresed,” also reduce accuracy. Some wording makes comparisons harder to interpret, particularly “it changes to 28million” when describing a decrease. Aim for standard reporting collocations and precise verbs, such as “stood at,” “rose to,” “fell to,” and “remained stable,” while checking spelling and income-band labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentences, but control is inconsistent, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. Examples include “People who has a annual income,” where subject–verb agreement and article use are faulty, and “households are marginal change that it becomes to 28 million,” which has an unclear clause structure. There are also problems with plurals and verb forms in “27 millions” and “it changes to 28million.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are uneven, with spaces before commas and some long sentences joined without clear structure. Practise accurate simple comparisons first, then build longer sentences using controlled clauses, for example: “The figure rose from 25 million in 2007 to about 28.5 million in 2011, before edging down in 2015.”

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