Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-31

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 shows the annual income of US citizens for the year 2007,2022 and 2015.

There is a slight fluctuation in the earning segment, most of the segments are almost static in there position. The annual income of $100,000 or more is high in all the three years. People with the annual earning of [redacted phone]9$ and [redacted phone]9$ did not peaked or lose much in these year.

People with the income of [redacted phone]9 is always lower than other income categories, it is almost half of the people annually earning [redacted phone]$ or more.

The gradual increase is seen in people with [redacted phone]$ or more in these three years. It dropped a bit in 2011 but it increased in almost 5 millions household compare to 2007 and 2025.

People with the income of [redacted phone]9$ stayed same all these years. In 2011 people with [redacted phone]9$ increased a bit but again lowered slightly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. Furthermore, the content contains significant factual errors regarding the years provided in the prompt (referencing 2022 and 2025 instead of 2007, 2011, and 2015). While you attempted to identify some trends, the analysis is superficial and lacks a clear overview of the main features. The description of the data is inconsistent, and the failure to accurately report the years provided in the chart makes the summary unreliable. To improve, ensure you carefully read the data labels and provide a clear, data-supported overview of the most significant trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear structure. The paragraphs are poorly defined, and the progression of ideas is disjointed. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas effectively, making the text feel like a list of observations rather than a cohesive report. For instance, the transition between discussing different income brackets is abrupt. To improve, use linking words such as 'in contrast,' 'furthermore,' or 'consequently' to connect your points and ensure each paragraph has a clear focus, such as grouping similar trends together.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'high,' 'increase,' and 'lowered.' There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'did not peaked' (should be 'did not peak') and 'static in there position' (should be 'their'). The range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the precision required for an Academic Task 1 report. To improve, incorporate more varied and precise vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated,' 'remained stable,' 'accounted for,' or 'a significant proportion.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'people... did not peaked' and 'income... is always lower.' Additionally, there are errors in tense usage and punctuation, such as the inconsistent formatting of currency symbols and years. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with few attempts at complex sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses, and proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and pluralization.

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

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