Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-22

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)

Anthropologists students after their graduation , they work in different sectors. Such as 52% will do a full time job in a public or private sector , 8% will do a full time postgraduate study in local or international universities, 15% will do a part time job , 5% will continue their postgrad study and with it do a part time job, 12% of which unfortunately remain unemployed and 8% of which are those about them we don't have any information. And we also have the salary estimate of Anthropologists graduates after 5 years in which 5% of freelance consultants have a salary of 25,000-49,999 dollars , 15% of Government sector employees have a salary of range 50,000-74,999 dollars and the 30% employees of private sector have an salary of about 100,000+ dollars. So, the 52% full time employees will have an chance of getting a salary of about 100,000+ dollars after 5 years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the employment status and salary data. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, simply listing percentages rather than synthesizing the information effectively. The final sentence makes an unsupported assumption by equating the 52% of full-time employees with the 30% of private sector employees who earn over $100,000. This is a logical leap not supported by the data provided. To improve, you should group related data points and focus on identifying significant trends or contrasts rather than just transcribing the figures from the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is presented as a single paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow. There is a lack of clear paragraphing to separate the two distinct data sets (employment status vs. salaries). While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'And we also have', they are informal and repetitive. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, moving abruptly between categories. To achieve a higher band, you must organize your response into logical paragraphs—one for the employment status and one for the salary data—and use a wider range of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic phrasing like 'will do a job' or 'will have an chance'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'Anthropologists students' (should be 'Anthropology graduates') and 'salary of range'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or academic terminology to describe the data trends. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and nouns related to statistics would significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'Anthropologists students after their graduation , they work' (redundant subject), 'about them we don't have any information' (awkward word order), and 'an chance' (incorrect article). The sentence structures are mostly simple or repetitive. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often marred by errors in punctuation and syntax. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly before nouns.

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

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