Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-16

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 statistics shows Anthropology graduates life and salaries. These students have graduared from the same university and haave joined different fields. In addition, it shows that most of the garduates started working full time after their graduation. Furthermore, the individuals from government sectors received the most salaries in their 5 years of work.

On one hand arround 52% of anthropologists started working full-time after graduation. While, 8% initiated a full-time post graduation course. However, 5% students lived a balanced life of part-time work and potgraduates studies. In contrast, 12% remained unemployed while the where abouts of 8% are unknown. In addition, 15% started working part-time.

Furthermore, the data shows that antrhropology graduates working in freelance consultants and private companies received less salaries in comparision to government sector. Arround 50% people working in government sector recevied more than [redacted phone] salaries. On the other hand only 40% in freelance and 30% in private organization received salary in six digits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both the graduates’ destinations and the salary table, and your overview identifies two important features: full-time work was the most common outcome, while government employees had the largest share in the top salary band. The destination figures you report are accurate. However, the salary comparison is only partly developed: you mention the $100,000-plus figures but omit the substantial proportions earning $75,000–99,999 and the differences in the lower bands. The claim that freelance and private-company graduates “received less salaries” is also too broad, since private-company workers were more concentrated in the $50,000–74,999 band, while freelance consultants and government employees had similar shares in the top band. A fuller comparison across the salary ranges would make the report more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an opening summary, a paragraph on destinations, and a final paragraph on salaries. This makes the two visual elements easy to identify. You also use linking expressions such as “In addition,” “Furthermore,” and “On the other hand.” However, several transitions feel mechanical or do not express a clear contrast, as in “On one hand” before listing destination figures. The salary paragraph moves directly from a broad comparison to the top-income figures, without guiding the reader through the other salary bands. Some sentence connections are also awkward, particularly “While, 8% initiated…” as a separate sentence fragment. Group related figures and use transitions that show the precise relationship between them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “full-time,” “unemployed,” “government sector,” and “salary,” so the main information remains understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “received the most salaries,” “lived a balanced life,” and “salary in six digits” do not express the intended comparisons clearly. Spelling errors such as “graduared,” “garduates,” “arround,” and “comparision” are noticeable and reduce the accuracy of the report. Aim for precise chart language, for example, “accounted for,” “earned,” “salary band,” and “the highest proportion.” Check spelling carefully, especially for repeated topic words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and most of the intended meaning can be followed. However, some grammatical errors affect clarity and control. The opening “The statistics shows” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “While, 8% initiated…” is an incomplete dependent clause and is punctuated incorrectly. In “the where abouts of 8% are unknown,” the construction does not clearly identify the graduates as the subject. There are also awkward sentence patterns in “50% people working in government sector received…” where articles and sentence structure are missing. Practise combining contrast clauses into complete sentences and check agreement, articles, and punctuation. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen the report.

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

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