Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-05
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 chart illustrates the proportion of households in the US according to their annual income over three consecutive years of 2007,2011 and 2015.
Overall, the individuals who has more than $[redacted phone] annual income remain highest and peaked in the year 2015 with highest proportion with about 33 millions. Therefore, whose incomes are $75000-$99999 remains lowest with a stable trend.
On the other hand, households income less than $25000 was 25 million in the year 2007 and growth 4 millions in 2011 whereas its down 28 millions to 27 millions in the year 2011. Therefore, individuals whose incomes $25000-$49000 begin with 26 millions in 2007 then growth to 30 millions in 2011 and becomes highest sharer of that year incontrast with others but in 2015 its slightly down and remains in 28millions. Wherever, households whose incomes from $50000 to $74999 remained same in three consecutive years with the proportion of 21 millions. People incomes $75000-$99999 was lowest all the three years among others sharer its was about 14.5 millions in 2007 slightly down in 2011 with 14 millions then growth to 15 millions in 2015. House
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the trends for the highest and lowest income groups. However, the analysis is marred by significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, you state that the $100,000+ group peaked at 33 million in 2015, but the chart shows this figure for 2015 is actually around 33 million, which is correct, but your description of the $25,000-$49,000 group is confusing and contains contradictory figures (e.g., 'growth 4 millions... whereas its down 28 millions to 27 millions'). The summary of the $50,000-$74,999 group as remaining 'same' is also inaccurate, as the chart shows fluctuations. You need to ensure data points are read and reported with greater precision to achieve a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into an introduction and body paragraphs, which provides a basic structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused. For example, the transition 'Therefore' is used inappropriately in several places where it does not logically follow the previous statement. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'incontrast with others' and 'among others sharer'. The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison of trends over the three years. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will help create a smoother progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'millions' and 'growth'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'highest sharer' and 'proportion of 21 millions'. The term 'proportion' is used incorrectly, as the chart displays absolute numbers (millions of households), not percentages. To improve, focus on using more varied verbs to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained steady', or 'experienced a marginal increase', and ensure you distinguish between numbers and proportions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('individuals who has', 'households income less than'), incorrect verb forms ('its down', 'growth to'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around numbers and commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the quality of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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