Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-30

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 compares the number of individuals in the US, who had their own property with their salaries per annum in three years 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, there has been no change in numbers of households of US citizens with moderate annual incomes while the highest number of houses owned by the employs with highest annual income in 2007 and 2015.

First of all, the only 15 million houses were owned by the group earning $75,000 to $99,999 per year in 2007, 2011 and 2015 while this number also remained pleatue at almost 22 million for the group earing $50,000-$74,999.

Moreover, the highest number of houses equal to 29 million and 33 million has been owned by the group earning more than 1 million dollars per annum in 2007 and 2015 respectively while this number reduced to almost 27 million in the year 2011 by the same group. Whereas, in that year the group earning just $25,000-$49,000 bought their own properties for living.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to accurately report the main features. There are significant factual inaccuracies; for instance, the text claims the group earning over $100,000 (referred to as $1 million) had the highest number of households, which misinterprets the chart. Furthermore, the overview is confusing and does not clearly highlight the key trends or significant differences between the years. The description of the data is fragmented, and the lack of precision in reporting the figures makes it difficult for the reader to follow the trends. To improve, you must ensure that the data extracted from the chart is accurate and that the overview provides a clear, high-level summary of the most significant changes or patterns observed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. While cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Whereas' are used, they are often placed incorrectly or used to connect ideas that do not logically follow one another. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making the relationship between the data points and the commentary difficult to track. The structure lacks a cohesive flow, and the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. To improve, focus on grouping related data points together and using linking words more naturally to guide the reader through your analysis of the trends.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The range of vocabulary is limited and contains several errors that impede clarity. Phrases like 'remained pleatue' (likely meant 'plateaued') and 'employs' (used instead of 'employees' or 'households') demonstrate a lack of control over word choice and spelling. The vocabulary is repetitive, and there is a lack of precision in describing the data, such as using '1 million dollars' to describe an income bracket that is clearly labeled differently on the chart. To improve, focus on learning specific vocabulary for describing trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'peaked', and ensure you are using terms accurately in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies on a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. Issues include incorrect verb forms ('has been owned'), subject-verb agreement errors, and awkward phrasing ('the only 15 million houses were owned'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, which occasionally makes the meaning ambiguous. While the reader can generally understand the intent, the frequency of errors is high. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors such as article usage, verb tense consistency, and pluralization.

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

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