Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-22

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)

The pie chart illustrates that destination of Anthropology graduates completed their undergraduate degree course and then did post graduate from one university. The table shows information about the salaries of anthropologists after five years in three different work sectors.

Overall, the majority of Anthropology graduates were employed in full time work. While the lowest percent of graduates were in part-time work and postgrad courses. Most number of graduates were having a highest salaries in freelance consultants and government sector. Whereas, graduates in private companies had the least amount.

Well, over half of the Anthropology graduates worked as full-time or part-time (52% and 15%) respectively. Following this, 12% graduates as unemployed. While full-time postgrad study and not known had the same percentage. In the contrast, only 5% percent of graduates worked as part-time and postgrad studies.

Regarding employment, those who have salary over 100 thousand dollars got the highest increment in government sector as compared to any other fields. While those who are in the range of 25,000 - 49,999 salary got only 5% of gain. Which is the lowest among others.

The graduates who have the salary of 100 million got the huge proportion of increment in all the sectors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features from both the pie chart and the table, such as the 52% in full-time work and the salary distribution across sectors. An overview is attempted, although phrasing like 'Most number of graduates were having a highest salaries' is awkward. While key figures are present, some data interpretation is imprecise or slightly confused, such as referring to salaries of '100 million' instead of $100,000+. The comparisons made between the government sector and private companies are relevant, but the overall development of ideas suffers from unclear phrasing and minor inaccuracies in data reporting. This performance aligns well with Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement, divided into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on separate charts. However, paragraphing and logical progression are hindered by conversational interjections ('Well') and abrupt transitions ('In the contrast', 'Regarding employment'). Cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically or inaccurately, such as starting sentences with dangling modifiers or incorrect conjunctions ('While full-time postgrad study and not known had the same percentage'). Referencing is generally clear, but the internal structure of sentences within paragraphs occasionally lacks smooth flow, leading to a choppy reading experience. This corresponds to a Band 5.5 or solid Band 6 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to discuss graduates, employment types, and salary ranges. However, there are frequent lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'destination of Anthropology graduates completed', 'lowest percent of graduates were in', and 'got the highest increment'. The incorrect unit of currency or scale ('salary of 100 million') significantly detracts from precision. Less common vocabulary is attempted but often misused, demonstrating limited flexibility and control. Spelling is generally acceptable, but overall lexical control is restricted to a basic or repetitive range with noticeable errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating percentages and comparative structures. However, grammatical control is weak, with frequent errors that occasionally impede understanding. Examples include fragment sentences ('While full-time postgrad study and not known had the same percentage'), missing verb components ('those who have salary'), and prepositional errors ('in freelance consultants'). Punctuation is also problematic, notably with misplaced commas and sentence fragments starting with conjunctions like 'Which is the lowest among others.' The majority of sentences contain errors, preventing the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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