Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-10
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 5.0)
The bar chart describes the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
The number of households is given in millions. An annual income is divided in to four category of income. Salary under $25,000 had highest amount of household in 2007 and 2015.
In 2007, household earning less than $25,000 was highest with 29 million households, people with $75,000-$99,999 has lowest amount. In 2011, 30 million of households had highest salary between $25,000-$49,999, and 22 million households has salary between $50,000-$74,999. In 2015, most of households with less that $25,000 has increase by 33 million, and salary between $75,000-$99,999 are least.
In the bar chart, salary between 75,000-$99,999 are lowest in all there countries. An annual income between $50,000-$74,999 is also similar in all there countries which is 21 million households. However, households with less than 25,000 is most in 2007 and 2015, but in 2011 salary between $25,000-$49,000 is highest.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response identifies the main features of the chart, such as the highest and lowest income categories. However, the analysis is inconsistent and contains factual inaccuracies. For instance, you state that the salary under $25,000 had the highest number of households in 2015, but the chart shows the $50,000-$74,999 category is actually higher. Additionally, your description of the data is sometimes confusing, such as claiming the number of households 'increased by 33 million' in 2015, which is a misinterpretation of the scale. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference the data points with the axes and avoid making generalisations that contradict the provided visual information.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing and inaccurate references. For example, you refer to the US as 'all there countries' multiple times, which is confusing as the chart only depicts the US. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as the transition 'In the bar chart' used to start a paragraph that repeats information already discussed. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your referencing is accurate and clear throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher score. You rely on basic terms like 'highest amount' and 'lowest amount' repeatedly. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'divided in to four category' (should be 'categories') and 'most of households' (should be 'most households'). The misuse of 'countries' instead of 'years' or 'categories' significantly impacts the clarity of your report. To improve, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'peaked'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('people... has lowest', 'households... has increase') and incorrect preposition usage ('divided in to'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your verb tenses are consistent when describing past data. Proofreading for these small but frequent errors will help improve your overall accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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