Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-08

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 5.0)

The pie chart compares the destination of Anthrolopology students in six distinct features, who worked after completing their university degree course from a university, while the table illustrates the salaries of graduates in three types of employment after 5 years of work.

overall, full-time work was the highest proportion among all, and part-time work was the second-ranked in number. However, full-time postgrad study and not known were equavalent in percentage. In contrast, salaries of post graduates earned more initially from private companies, but in the last, government sector made the highest ratio of salaries for workers after 5 years of work experience.

In detail, 52% of graduates were worked for full-time, which is about half of the proportion, while unemployed students consisted of 12%, and one-fifth made for part-time work. Whereas, not known students and full-time postgrad study accounted for 8% each, respectively. lastly, part-time work and postgrad study were the lowest in all for about 5% only.

Whereas, freelance consultants ad government sector shared salaries each to about $25,[redacted phone]0 (5%) and %75,000-74,999 (15%). However, salaries were significantly increased to about 40%, which was about hundred-thousand dollars in freelance consultants, and considerably rose to first 30%, and then 50%. While private firms started with the lowest, but subsequently trend increased first to 35%, and then dropped to 25%, before rising again at 30%.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to cover both the pie chart and the table, but the analysis is significantly hampered by inaccurate data reporting. For instance, you state that 'freelance consultants and government sector shared salaries each to about $25,000-49000 (5%)', which misinterprets the table's structure. Furthermore, the description of salary trends is confusing and does not clearly reflect the data provided in the table. While you identify the main features, such as the highest proportion of full-time work, the lack of precision in reporting the figures and the failure to make meaningful comparisons between the categories prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure you accurately transcribe data points and focus on clear, logical comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is often disjointed. While you use some cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'In detail', their usage is sometimes mechanical or logically misplaced. For example, the transition between the pie chart analysis and the table analysis is abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the comparison between categories is difficult to follow. Improving the use of linking words to create a smoother flow between sentences and paragraphs would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate to convey the basic meaning, but there are several inaccuracies and awkward collocations. Phrases like 'made the highest ratio of salaries' and 'lowest in all for about 5%' are unnatural. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'Anthrolopology' (spelling) and 'equavalent' (spelling). You attempt to use some descriptive language, but the lack of precision in reporting the data limits your ability to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary. Focusing on learning specific terminology for describing charts and trends, such as 'proportion', 'fluctuated', or 'remained stable', would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include '52% of graduates were worked for full-time' (passive voice error) and 'salaries of post graduates earned more' (subject-verb agreement/logic error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of symbols like '%75,000'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic sentence construction and verb tense usage prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct passive/active voice usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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