Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-14

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 illustrate the information about the numbers of households in the America by their annual income in millions in the years of 2007,2011 and 2015.

Overview, it is crystal clear that the income in the last year was highest than other years. The lowest income was in the started year.

Looking at the information in details, in the year of 2007 the income was mostly decrease than other years, Firstly it was at near about 25 million. Gradually, it was start go down day by day and suddenly it was rise and reached at 30 million. In the year of 2011 the income was around at 28 million and it was increase by 2 million. Dramatically, it stared decreased and it was at 16 million.

Furthermore, the information about the year of 2011 is that suddenly it was went upward and final annual income was between the 25 and 30 million. The remaining income of the year 2015 was highest than other years because it was at 27 million in the starting of year and in the middle it was start decreasing and at the end of the year it was between the 30 and 35 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to accurately interpret the data provided in the chart. The student struggles to identify the main features, often misreading the axes and the trends. For instance, the description of income trends as 'decreasing day by day' is not supported by the static data provided for specific years. The overview is vague and inaccurate, failing to highlight the key differences between income brackets. The report lacks a clear summary of the main trends, and the data points mentioned (e.g., '30 million') do not align with the provided chart. Consequently, the response does not adequately address the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression of ideas is weak. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and often inappropriate, such as the use of 'Overview' at the start of the second paragraph or 'Dramatically' to describe a trend that is not clearly defined. Referencing is often unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the years. The transition between sentences is frequently disjointed, which hinders the overall flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'income', 'years', and 'numbers', and struggles to use precise terminology for describing trends (e.g., 'start go down', 'went upward'). There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'started decreased' and 'highest than other years'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information with the necessary precision required for an Academic Task 1 report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement ('The chart illustrate'), tense usage ('it was start go down'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are poorly constructed, making the meaning unclear. While there is an attempt to use complex structures, they are almost always faulty. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas. The high frequency of errors indicates a lack of control over basic grammatical rules.

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