Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-07
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 pie-chart depicts the proportion of destination of Anthropology graduates, from one university. It represents that the ratio of full-time working, part-time working, part-time working and pursuing postgrad studies, full-time with postgrad studies, unemployed and not known graduates. The table compares the range of salaries based upon the type of employment over the past five years of work.
Overall, the ratio of full-time working graduates i.e. 52%, is substantial in contrast to the other categories as part-time work i.e.15%, part-time work with postgrad studies i.e.5%, full-time work with postgrad studies i.e.8%, unemployed i.e. 12% and unknown graduates i.e 8%. The number of full-time working graduates are majority in number and the graduates that are doing part-time work and pursuing their postgraduate studies are fewer in number.
The salaries of the graduates based on the type of their employment over the past five years is in different range as the salary of freelance consultants ,government sector employees and private companies as $25,000-49,999;$50,000-$74,000;$75,000-$99,999 and more than $100,000. The freelance consultants and government sector employees are 5% while the private companies employees are 10% in the range of $25,000-49,999, The freelance consultants and government sector employees are 15% while the private companies employees are 35% in the range of $50,000-$74,000, The freelance consultants are 40%, government sector employees are 30% while the private companies employees are 25% in the range of $75,000-$99,999, The freelance consultants are 40%, government sector employees are 50% while the private companies employees are 30% in the range of or more than $100,000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You successfully identify the main features, such as the dominance of full-time employment and the salary distributions. However, the analysis of the table is somewhat mechanical, listing data points rather than synthesizing them into a clear comparison. To reach a higher band, focus on grouping the data more effectively—for example, by highlighting which employment type consistently earns the highest salaries across all brackets, rather than listing every percentage for every category. This would provide a more analytical overview.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is appropriate for this task. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the overview and then the detailed data analysis. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive, relying heavily on 'i.e.' and simple lists. The transition between the pie chart description and the table analysis is abrupt. Using more sophisticated linking phrases such as 'In terms of salary distribution' or 'Conversely' would improve the flow and help the reader navigate the different sets of data more smoothly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'substantial', and 'freelance consultants'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'the ratio of full-time working... is substantial' (ratio is not the best fit here; 'proportion' or 'percentage' would be better). Additionally, the repetition of 'i.e.' and the phrasing 'are majority in number' are slightly unnatural. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise descriptors for trends and data comparison would enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and punctuation (e.g., 'The number of full-time working graduates are majority' should be 'is the majority'). There are also issues with comma usage and run-on sentences in the final paragraph. To improve, focus on ensuring that your subjects and verbs agree and try to vary your sentence structure by using more complex clauses to describe the data relationships.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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