Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-21

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 graph illustrats the data of different levels of annual wage of tamilies in the united states in 2007,2011 and 2015.

As far as the number of families whose annual income was less than $25,000, it began with around

›5 million in 2001, then increased to approximately 27 million in 2011, but decreased by 2 million 4 years later. Similarly, those of families that earned $25,000 to $49.999 were about 25 million in 2007, after that it rose to nearly 30 million in 2011. Finally it decreased to around 27 million in

2015.

By contrast, the groups of families which have high income, including $15,000 to $99.999 and $100,000 or more, experienced a drop in 2011, but their data went up in 2015.

Interesting things could be seen in the group of middle income, the data remain the same in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you have identified some main features, the analysis is superficial. You have not provided a clear overview of the trends, and the grouping of data is somewhat confusing. For instance, the reference to 'middle income' is vague, and the data points for the $75,000 to $99,999 category are not clearly distinguished from the $100,000+ category. To improve, ensure you provide a clear summary of the overall trends in the introduction or as an overview paragraph, and ensure all data categories are clearly defined and compared.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is somewhat mechanical. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Similarly' and 'By contrast', but the logical progression is hindered by the lack of a clear overview and the brevity of the analysis. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where 'the data' is mentioned without specifying which group is being discussed. To improve, use a wider range of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through the data comparisons.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'the data' and 'increased to'. There are also spelling errors, such as 'illustrats' and 'tamilies'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied verbs and nouns to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'a marginal decline'. Avoid informal phrasing like 'Interesting things could be seen' and aim for a more academic tone throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'those of families that earned' is awkward, and there are missing articles and incorrect punctuation (e.g., '2007,2011'). The use of '2001' instead of '2007' in the second paragraph is a significant factual error. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentences are punctuated correctly. Proofreading for minor slips in tense and article usage will also help improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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