Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-21

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 4.5)

The table illustrate Anthropology graduates from one university and shows the salaries of anthropologist in work after five There are three types of employment .

1: Freelance consultants

2: Government sector

3: private companies

1: Those Anthropologist whose do part - time work + post grad study it means their 5% they earn $25,000_49,999 after five years work.similarly for 15% their salary $50,000_74,999.and for 40% $75,000_99,999 and so on for again 40% it rose to $100,000+.

2: For government sector those people who have 5% their salary is $25,000_49,999 after five years work.similarly for 15% their salary is $50,000_74,000 and for 30% salary is $75,000_99,000. and as well as for 50% salary is $[redacted phone]+.

3: For private companies those people who have 10% their salary is $25,000_49,999.

For 35% salary is $50,000_74,000. so on for 25% $75,000_99,000 and similarly for 30% the salary is $100,000+.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response includes several salary figures accurately, including the 5%, 15%, 40% and 40% distribution for freelance consultants and the 50% earning $100,000 or more in government. However, it does not summarise the graduate-destination chart at all, and it misidentifies the freelance group as graduates doing part-time work plus postgraduate study. The task asks for both visuals, so this is a substantial omission; there is also no clear overview of the main patterns. The response is five words below the required minimum. To improve, report the destinations first, highlight the largest group (full-time work, 52%) and then compare the salary distributions across employment types.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The numbered sections give the salary information a basic, recognisable order, and the reader can generally follow the sequence from freelance consultants to government and private companies. However, the response has no introduction that accurately identifies both visuals and no overview to guide the reader through the main findings. Repeated patterns such as “similarly,” “so on” and “for … salary is” make the account mechanical, while the opening list of employment types interrupts the flow rather than developing a summary. Use clear paragraphs for the destination chart and salary table, and connect the figures through meaningful comparisons—for example, that government employees have the largest share in the top salary band.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses relevant task vocabulary such as “freelance consultants,” “government sector,” “private companies” and “salary,” so its meaning is usually recoverable. However, the range is limited and repetitive: “salary” and “for” recur throughout, and phrases such as “those people who have 5%” do not clearly express the proportion of employees in a salary band. “It rose to” is also unsuitable because the table compares categories rather than showing a change over time. Use precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “earned,” “salary band” and “the proportion of employees.” Check spelling and word forms, including “anthropologists,” and use standard formatting for salary ranges.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

Most of the response consists of short, simple statements, with only limited attempts to combine ideas. There are recurring errors in sentence structure and agreement, as in “The table illustrate,” and the opening sentence is incomplete: “after five” lacks “years.” Other examples include “those Anthropologist whose do” and the run-on construction “after five years work.similarly.” These errors make the writing less controlled, although the intended salary comparisons can usually be understood. Build accuracy with complete sentences and a consistent pattern, such as “Among freelance consultants, 40% earned between … and ….” Check subject–verb agreement, articles, plural forms, and punctuation, especially sentence boundaries and spacing after full stops.

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

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