Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-24

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 illustrate the anthropology graduate from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course , and the table elucidate the salaries of the anthropologiests in work after five years.

In an overview in the pie chart the highest percentage of destination of anthropology graduates ( from one university ) is full - time postgrad study , and the lowest proportion of destination of anthropology graduates ( from one university ) is part - time work + postgrad study . As well as in the table the highest salaries of anthropology graduates ( after 5 years work ) is government sector , and the lowest salaries of anthropology graduates ( after 5 years work ) .

First and foremost in the pie chart destination of anthropology graduate from one university full - time work is 52% , and part-time work is 15% . However part - time work + postgrad study is 5% , and full - time postgrad study is 8% . Furthermore the destination of anthropology graduates from one university unemployed is 12% , and not known is 8% .

As well as in the table the salaries of anthropology graduates after 5 years work freelance consultants $25,000 - 49,999 is 5% , and $50,000 - 74,999 is 15% ,and $ 75,000 - 99,999 is 40% and $ 100,000+ is 40% . At least but not last the goverenment sector salaries $25,000 to 49,999 is 5% and $ 50,000 - 74 999 is 15% , $ 75,000 - 99,999 is 30% , and $100,000+ is 50% . At the end of the private companies salaries $25,000 - 49,999 is 10% , and $ 50,000 - 74,999 is 35% , and $ 75,000 - 99,999 is 25% and $ 100,000+ is 30% .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You include figures from both visuals and accurately report most of the destination percentages and salary distributions. However, the overview contains a major misreading: full-time work, at 52%, is the largest graduate destination, not full-time postgraduate study; part-time work plus postgraduate study, at 5%, is correctly identified as the smallest. The salary overview is also incomplete: government employees have the highest share earning $100,000 or more, but the lowest salary band is shared by freelance consultants and government employees, while private-company workers have the largest share in the $50,000–74,999 band. The response therefore covers the data only partially, with limited synthesis. Add a clear overview of the main contrasts and avoid describing a salary category as a whole as “highest” or “lowest.”

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the pie chart and table. This makes the two visuals easy to locate, and the figures are generally presented in a sensible order. However, progression is weakened by mechanical transitions such as “First and foremost,” “As well as,” and “At the end,” which do not clearly express the relationships between the data. The overview also repeats the chart’s full title rather than summarising its main pattern, and the table paragraph lists every figure without grouping or comparing salary bands. Use more purposeful links and organise the table around notable contrasts—for example, the higher top-band shares in government and freelance work versus the concentration of private-company employees in the middle bands.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “proportion,” “destination,” and “salaries,” and the reader can generally understand which categories and figures you mean. However, the range is limited by repeated wording, especially “destination of anthropology graduates” and “salaries of anthropology graduates,” and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural. For example, “the table elucidate the salaries” and “the highest salaries … is government sector” do not describe the information precisely; the table shows salary-band distributions by employment type. There are also spelling errors such as “anthropologiests” and “goverenment.” Use concise terms such as “employment outcomes,” “salary distribution,” and “the government sector,” and check spelling and collocations to make the report clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences joined with “and” and “however,” but control is inconsistent. The opening has subject–verb agreement errors (“The pie chart illustrate” and “the table elucidate”), while “the highest percentage … is full-time postgrad study” uses an awkward sentence pattern for reporting a category. Articles and number agreement are also unreliable, as in “the anthropology graduate” and “the salaries … is.” Several long lists rely on comma-separated clauses, with inconsistent spacing and punctuation, making the sentence boundaries unclear. Aim for a wider range of accurately controlled structures: use forms such as “The chart illustrates…” and “Full-time work accounted for 52%,” and separate comparisons into complete sentences with consistent punctuation.

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