Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-03

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 THE ANTHROPOLOGY GRADUATES FROM ONE UNIVERSITY AFTER COMPLETING THEIR UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE. THE TABLE COMPARES THE SALARIES OF ANTHROPOLOGISTS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS AFTER FIVE YEARS OF WORK. OVERALL, THE MAJORITY OF GRADUATES ENTERED FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT AFTER GRADUATION. AND PRIVATE COMPANIES ARE GIVEN HIGHEST SALARIES IN TO ANTHROPOLOGY EMPLOYEES.

ACCORDING TO THE PIE CHART MAJORITY OF GRADUATES JOIN FULL TIME JOB AT 52%, WHILE 15% ANTHROPOLOGY STUDENT CHOOSE PART TIME JOB AND 5% GRADUATERS DECIDE TO PART TIME WORK WITH POSTGRAD STUDY. 8% STUDENTS JOIN FULL TIME POSTGRAD STUDY, WHILE 12% STUDENTS ARE UNEMPLOYED. 8% GRADUATERS NOT KNOWN.

THE ANTHROPOLOGY GRADUATES EMPLOYEES SALARIES AFTER FIVE YEARS. FREELANCE CONSULTENTS TOP SALARIE IS $100,000 OR MORE. IN 5% EMPLOYEES EARNING BETWEEN $25,000 TO 49,999, WHILE 15% PEOPLE SALARIES ARE $50,000 TO 74,999 AND 40% WORKER EARNING BERWEEN $75,000 AND 99,999 AND OTHER 40% PAYOUTS $100,000 AND OVER. GOVERMMENT SECTOR IN 5% EMPLOYEES SALARIES $25,000 TO 49,999, WHILE 15% WORKER PAYOUT ARE $50,000 TO 74,999 OTHER 30% EMPLOYEES SALARIES $75,000-99,999 ANOTHER 50% WORKER EARNING $100,000 AND MORE. PRIVATE COMPANIES 10%, 35%, 25%, 30% WORKER EARNING ACCORDING $25,000-49,999, $50,000 TO 74,999 AND $100,00 AND OVER IN THAT ORDER.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover both visuals and report many figures accurately, including the 52% in full-time work and the salary distributions for freelance consultants and government employees. The overview also identifies full-time work as the largest graduate destination. However, the overview’s claim that private companies offer the highest salaries is not supported: the largest $100,000+ shares are in government (50%) and freelance consulting (40%), compared with 30% in private companies. The private-company figures are also incomplete or misaligned: the response omits the 25% earning $75,000–99,999 and appears to assign the final 30% to the wrong salary band. Select the main comparisons more carefully and make the overview accurate; some parts of the data are reported more fully than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the graduate destinations and then salary details. This makes the two visuals easy to distinguish. Within the paragraphs, however, information is often presented as a long sequence of figures, with limited comparison between categories. Repeated use of “while” and “and” creates a mechanical rhythm, and the final private-company figures are difficult to follow because the salary bands are not clearly matched to each percentage. Use clearer grouping—for example, compare the highest salary bands across the three sectors—and use linking phrases selectively. A more explicit progression from overview to key contrasts would make the report easier to read.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary such as “full time employment,” “postgrad study,” “freelance consultants,” and “salaries,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range and control are limited, and several word choices or forms are inaccurate: “top salar ie,” “payouts,” “worker,” and “graduates employees salaries” do not express the intended ideas naturally. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “consultents,” “govermmment,” and “berween,” which reduce precision. Use standard terms consistently, such as “graduates,” “employees,” “earnings,” and “salary band,” and check spelling. More accurate collocations would help you describe the data without relying on repetitive wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with comparisons, but the range is limited and errors recur in sentence construction. For example, “And private companies are given highest salaries in to anthropology employees” has an unclear structure, while “8% graduaters not known” is missing a verb. In the salary paragraph, phrases such as “In 5% employees earning” and “another 50% worker earning” do not form complete, accurate clauses. Articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries also need attention. Aim for clear patterns such as “Five per cent of freelance consultants earned…” and “The proportion earning…”; then check that each sentence has a subject and a correctly formed verb.

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