Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-12

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 illustrates the current locations of Anthropolgy students who graduated from same university. Meanwhile, the tabulated form compares the salaries of the anthropologists in work over the 5 years.

Overall, the majority of gradutes are doing full time job accounted for 52%. While a small proportion contibutes only 5% doing part-time work along with their postgrad education. Similarly, salaries of those working as freelance consultants gradually increased over the 5 years. Moreover, those working in government sector paid almost same throughout.

Regarding the locations, 52% of graduates are doing full time work, followed by 15% of those who are working part time. 8% of graduates are doing their postgrade study all the time. However, 8% of graduates remained unkown.

Graduates working as freelance consultants saw their salaries improvement over the 1st 2 years but their salary remains steady after that at [redacted phone]$. Moreover

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to cover both the pie chart and the table, noting key features such as the 52% of graduates in full-time employment and salary trends for freelance consultants and government workers. However, the summary has several limitations. First, the word count is 145 words, which fails to meet the 150-word minimum requirement, resulting in a penalty. Second, the information is repetitive, with percentages for employment types restated awkwardly across paragraphs. Finally, the text is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence with 'Moreover'. While some main features are selected, the lack of complete development and the under-length penalty restrict the score. To improve, ensure all parts of the prompt are fully written out without trailing off, and avoid repeating the exact same data points in different sections.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay displays a basic logical organisation with an introduction, body details, and an overall summary attempt, though it is cut short. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Meanwhile', 'Overall', 'While', and 'Similarly', but their implementation is sometimes awkward or mechanical. Paragraphing is attempted, but the paragraphs are very short and fragmented, particularly the final incomplete sentence 'Moreover'. Referencing and logical progression are hindered by the repetition of figures, such as stating the 52% full-time employment figure twice in close proximity. To achieve a higher band score, the student should ensure paragraphs are fully developed with clear thematic groupings, reduce repetitive referencing, and avoid unfinished sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic task communication, featuring terms such as 'graduates', 'freelance consultants', 'government sector', and 'salaries'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('Anthropolgy' instead of Anthropology, 'gradutes', 'contibutes', 'unkown') and word choice/collocation issues (e.g., 'tabulated form compares the salaries', 'doing full time job accounted for 52%'). The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive, with few less-common lexical items attempted successfully. Frequent spelling mistakes and awkward phrasing prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, the student should build a stronger repertoire of reporting vocabulary and carefully proofread for spelling accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'While' and 'followed by'. However, grammatical accuracy is compromised by several errors. Examples include missing articles and prepositions (e.g., 'salaries of those working as freelance consultants gradually increased', 'salary remains steady', 'in government sector paid almost same'). Furthermore, the sentence structure breaks down entirely at the end of the text with the dangling transition 'Moreover'. While some basic sentences are accurate, the frequency of errors and the incomplete final sentence restrict the grammar score. The student should focus on subject-verb agreement, article usage, and ensuring all sentences are structurally complete.

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

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