Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-17
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 chart illustrates the destination of Antrhropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduation course. The table shows the salaries of the antrhropologists graduates after 5 years in work. Overall, the destinations had the highest percentage in full time work and the lowest percent in full time work. The table show had the highest salaries in the government sector.
It is clear that full time work had the highest 52%. The second highest15% in part time work and the third highest 12% in unemployed. In addition, part time work and postgrad study had the lowest 5%. In full time postgrad study and not known had the same percentage 8.
The table show that the salaries of antrhropology had the highest salary in government sector in 50% at $100,000. The type of employment had the same 5% and 15% in freelance consultants and the government sector from $25,000-49,999 to $50,000-74,999. In private companies had the lowest salary at $100,000 in 30%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify the main destination, full-time work (52%), and report several other figures accurately, including unemployment at 12% and part-time work plus postgraduate study at 5%. However, the overview contains a major contradiction: it calls full-time work both the highest and the lowest destination, whereas the lowest is the combined part-time-work-and-study category. The salary overview is also incomplete: government employment has the largest share earning $100,000 or more (50%), but freelance consultants also have a substantial 40% in this bracket. Some comparisons are unclear, and the response is 146 words, below the required 150; the 16 words copied from the prompt are not counted. Include a clearer overview and select accurate salary comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic, useful structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph about graduate destinations, and one about salaries. This makes the two visuals easy to distinguish. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “It is clear,” and “In addition” show an attempt to connect information, but progression is sometimes mechanical, and the overview’s contradictory statement disrupts the reader’s understanding. The salary paragraph also moves between categories without clearly explaining the comparison, as in “The type of employment had the same 5% and 15%.” Use topic sentences that identify the point of each paragraph, group related salary figures, and use precise references so each comparison follows logically.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant task vocabulary, including “destination,” “percentage,” “full time work,” “postgrad study,” and “government sector,” so the subject is generally clear. However, the range is limited and some phrases are repetitive or imprecise, particularly repeated uses of “highest” and “lowest” without specifying whether you mean a salary band or employment category. “The salaries of anthropology had the highest salary” is also an awkward expression. There are spelling and word-form slips, including “Antrhropology” and “undergraduation,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise reporting language and check spelling; alternatives such as “proportion,” “accounted for,” and “salary bracket” would help you describe the data more naturally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
Most sentences are short and follow simple patterns, and the reader can understand the main figures. However, grammatical errors occur frequently, and attempts to combine information are often faulty. For example, “The chart illustrates the destination … did after finishing” lacks a grammatical link between “destination” and “did,” while “The table show” has incorrect subject–verb agreement. The sentence “In full time postgrad study and not known had the same percentage 8” is also incomplete and needs a clearer structure, such as stating that both categories accounted for 8%. Articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries need attention as well. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then combine comparisons using controlled clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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