Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The pie chart illustrates students of anthropology graduates from one university, while table chart depicts there work income after working for five years.

Overall, anthropology graduates highly pursued full-time work, whereas, lowest students preferred to working part-time with postgrad study. However, freelance consultants and government sector salaries are similar at the starting of the year. Whereas, private companies provide higher salaries at first but at the end it provide lower salary.

Looking at the details, full-time work dominated the initial chart, with half of the anthropology graduates selected, compare to 15% preferring part-time working. In addition, there were 5% graduates selected working with part-time and studying. While, 8% students joined full-time postgraduates study. However, 12% graduates are unemployed and 8% do not make decision for there career.

Remaining to the table chart, the ranges of $25,000 to $49,999 and $ 50,000 to $ 74,999 had similar worker percentages in freelance consultants and government sector, accounted with 5% or 15% respectively. Furthermore, salaries range at $ 100,000+ had 40% workers in freelance consultants and government sector had 50% respectively. In contrast, private companies had 10% worker in range of $ 25,000 to $ 49,999. 35% percentages in range of $ 50,000 to $ 74,999. Whereas, it situated at 30% workers in range of $ 100,000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers both the graduate destinations and the salary table, and it identifies the main destination pattern: full-time work is the largest category, while part-time work combined with postgraduate study is the smallest. Several figures are reported accurately, including 15% in part-time work and the salary shares for freelance consultants and government employees. However, the overview is partly unclear: describing private-company salaries as “higher at first” and lower “at the end” does not clearly explain the salary bands, and the final band is omitted for private companies. The table’s $75,000–$99,999 figures are also not discussed. To strengthen the report, summarise the key salary contrast—for example, government workers most often earn $100,000 or more, while private-company employees are concentrated in the $50,000–$74,999 band—and report the remaining relevant figures accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph on graduate destinations and a final paragraph on salaries. This makes the two visual elements easy to locate. However, progression within the overview and salary paragraph is sometimes difficult to follow. The sequence “However… Whereas…” creates a fragment-like transition, and “Remaining to the table chart” is an awkward way to signal the shift. Some linking words, including “Furthermore,” “In contrast” and “Whereas,” are used mechanically or do not clearly express the relationship between the figures. Grouping salary bands consistently and comparing the three employment sectors within each band would create clearer progression. Use fewer, more precise transitions and make references such as “it” explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant task vocabulary, including “full-time work,” “unemployed,” “freelance consultants” and “salary ranges,” and it attempts to describe proportions with terms such as “dominated.” This gives enough range to communicate the main subject. However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “students of anthropology graduates,” “table chart,” “selected working,” and “provide higher salaries at first.” “At the starting of the year” is also unsuitable because the table compares earnings after five years of work, not a year-by-year timeline. These choices sometimes make the intended comparison less clear. Prefer standard chart-reporting language, such as “graduates,” “the table,” “entered employment,” and “the proportion earning,” and use precise salary-band labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There is an attempt to use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning with “whereas” and “while,” and the main figures are generally understandable. However, some sentence structures are faulty, particularly when a linking word is left without a complete clause: “Whereas, private companies provide higher salaries…” follows an already incomplete contrast, and “Whereas, it situated at 30% workers…” is not grammatically complete. There are also errors in articles, agreement and verb forms, as in “table chart depicts there work income,” “it provide lower salary,” and “12% graduates are unemployed.” Check that each sentence has a clear subject and finite verb, use past tense consistently for the graduates’ outcomes, and review possessives and agreement. More accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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