Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-08

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course. The table shows the salaries of the anthropologists in work after five years.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparison where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The chart and table below illustrate the status of Anthropology graduates from one university as well as their salaries, post-fie years, respectively.

Overall, majority of graduates got full-time employments with a percentage of 52%, while 15% of individuals worked part-time. A small proportion of 8% graduates decided to do postgraduation full-time, while 5% studied further along with the part-time job. However, 12% of graduates remained unemployed, and status of 8% is still unknown.

The Anthropology graduates got employments in three categories, and their salaries after five-years of jobs are as follows: Private companies employees were offered a higher salary initially, which increased every year, nevertheless, after 5 years it was still less than other two categories. However, freelance consultants were offered less salary at the time of employment, but it increased post-five years still less than the government sector. While government sector employees had less income, at the time of employment and through out the time, but after 5 years they have most higher salary, compared two others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of both the chart and the table. You provided a clear overview and selected relevant data points to support your summary. However, the analysis of the salary table is somewhat confusing. You state that private company employees had a 'higher salary initially' but then say it was 'less than other two categories' after five years. The description of the government sector is also contradictory, stating they had 'less income' but then 'most higher salary'. To improve, ensure your comparisons are logically consistent and clearly linked to the data provided. The overview is present, but the reporting of the salary trends needs more precision to fully meet the requirements of a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into three paragraphs: an introduction, a summary of the chart, and a summary of the table. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'while' to connect ideas. However, the flow within the final paragraph is hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive structures, which makes the comparison between the three salary categories difficult to follow. Improving the use of transition words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'the other two') is clear would enhance the logical progression of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'full-time employments', 'freelance consultants', and 'proportion'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'most higher salary' (should be 'highest salary') and 'post-fie years' (spelling error). You also struggle with the phrasing of salary trends, which impacts the precision of your report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated comparative language and ensure that your word forms are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'majority of graduates' (missing 'the'), 'post-five years' (awkward usage), and 'compared two others' (missing 'to'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with comma usage and sentence construction that occasionally disrupt the flow. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as well as refining your complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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

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