Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 4.5)

The chart ilustrates how many income earned by familes in the United States in 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, it is evident that while income earned by the people in US experienced upward and downward trends over the period. Some families earned much as compare to others.

In 2007, 25 Millions people earned less than 25$, compared to 27 Millions people who earned 25 to 4

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and years, and it begins to report two figures for 2007. However, it stops mid-sentence at “25 to 4,” so the comparison is incomplete and most of the chart is not described. The overview—“upward and downward trends” and “Some families earned much as compare to others”—is too vague to identify the main features, such as the $100,000-or-more group reaching its highest level in 2015 or the $50,000–$74,999 group remaining stable. The figures given are broadly consistent with the chart, though the units should be households, not people. The response also falls well short of the required 150 words. To improve, complete the report with a clear overview and accurate comparisons across all income groups.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic sequence: an introduction, an overview, and the start of a detail paragraph. The opening phrase “Overall” signals a shift to the main summary, and “In 2007” introduces a specific year. However, the response ends abruptly during a comparison, leaving no clear progression through the data and no concluding detail. The overview does not connect to specific trends, while the final sentence fragment makes the relationship between the figures unclear. Organise the report into a concise introduction, a specific overview, and one or two paragraphs comparing the main categories over time. Use linking expressions to show contrasts and stability, rather than relying only on time markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “chart,” “income,” “families,” and “earned,” so the general topic is recognisable. However, the vocabulary is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “how many income earned” does not express the number of households, and “Some families earned much as compare to others” is difficult to interpret. “25 Millions people” also uses the wrong unit and an unsuitable form for describing the chart. Spelling errors such as “ilustrates” and “familes” are noticeable. Use precise chart language such as “the number of households,” “income bracket,” “rose,” “remained stable,” and “reached a peak” to report the data clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both a complex opening sentence beginning “while” and a comparison using “compared to,” showing some effort beyond simple statements. However, the complex overview is not grammatically complete: “while income earned by the people in US experienced upward and downward trends” lacks a clear main clause. There are also errors in sentence construction and agreement, including “how many income earned” and “25 Millions people earned.” The final sentence is unfinished, so its comparison cannot be assessed as a complete structure. Build accurate simple sentences first—for example, “There were 25 million households earning under $25,000 in 2007”—then add controlled comparisons using “whereas” or “while.”

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