Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-08

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 5.5)

The chart gives information about Anthropology students condition after completing their course and the table illustrates the salaries of these graduates after five years.

Overall, full-time work remained the most prominent over the years while part-time work and postgrad study accounted for less percentage.In addition, the government sector offers a better salary whereas private companies give not enough amount.

Looking at the remaining figures, 15% of the students are doing their part-time work

while only 8% graduates are doing their full-time postgrad study. The unknown people stand up at 8%. Unemployement is the second highest propotion at 15%.

The private companies give salary from $25000- 49000 to 10% students, whereas both freelance and government sector offer it to only 5%.Freelance consultants give 40% people salary ranging from $75000 to $99999 while the private company offer only 25%.THe government sector provide salary for more than $100,000 to 50% of the graduates.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart and table and include several relevant figures, such as 52% in full-time work and the salary shares for the highest bracket. However, some key information is inaccurate: unemployment is 12%, not 15%, and the overview’s claim that part-time work and postgraduate study accounted for a smaller percentage is unclear and does not accurately summarise the destinations. The response also omits the 52% figure from the detailed discussion and gives little comparison across salary bands; for example, government employment has the largest share earning $100,000 or more (50%), while freelance consultants have 40% in that bracket. The main features are therefore only partly covered and some are underdeveloped. Make the overview precise, check every figure, and compare the major categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs of supporting details. This gives the reader some sense of organisation, and linking words such as “while” and “whereas” help show contrasts. However, progression is uneven: the final paragraph moves between salary bands and employment types without a clear sequence, and the destination figures are presented separately rather than grouped or compared systematically. Some connections are also unclear, particularly “part-time work and postgrad study accounted for less percentage,” which does not specify the categories being compared. Organise the body by chart and table, then present figures in a consistent order, using clear references and comparisons to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “full-time work,” “postgrad study,” “salary,” and “freelance consultants,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “students condition,” “stand up at 8%,” and “give not enough amount.” These expressions make parts of the report awkward or unclear. Spelling errors, including “Unemployement,” “propotion,” and “THe,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise reporting language and use standard terms such as “accounted for,” “stood at,” and “earned.” Check spelling carefully and avoid informal or vague phrases when describing data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt some complex sentences, for example, “The private companies give salary … whereas both freelance and government sector offer it to only 5%,” and the basic meaning is usually recoverable. However, sentence structures are limited, and errors in articles, agreement, and sentence construction occur repeatedly. Examples include “the government sector offers” followed by “private companies give,” where the comparison is not grammatically parallel, and “The government sector provide,” which has a subject–verb agreement error. The overview sentence “part-time work and postgrad study accounted for less percentage” is also awkwardly formed. Use accurate plural and singular forms, add articles where needed, and vary sentence patterns while keeping comparisons grammatically balanced.

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