Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-12
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 illustrates the an annual income of households in US from 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Overall, the highest income was $700,000 or even more, however if percentage fell slightly in 2011. In contrast the lowest income was between $75,000-$99,999. Over the three years of period.
In 2007, families earning less than $25,000 was 25 million, however it almost reached 30 millicen in 2007. By 2015 it declined slightly around 27 million. Households earning from $25,000-$49,999 was higher compared to earning less than $25,000, standing above 25 million. In 2011, it stood at 30 million before falling below 30 million in 2015. Earning from $50,000-$74,999 recorded just above 20 million and it remained same in 2011 and 2015.
Annual incomes of us households from $75,000-$99,999 was standing below 15 million and it declined slightly to around 13 million in 2011. By 2015 it reached 15 million. Households who were earning $100,000 or even more was approximately 29 million before falling around to 27 million in 2011. By 2015 it increased dramatically reaching around 34 million.
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 student attempts to address the task by summarizing the main features of the US household income chart for 2007, 2011, and 2015. However, there are several inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the student states that 'the highest income was $700,000 or even more' (which misinterprets the categories, as the chart shows income brackets up to $100,000 or more) and confuses years in the third paragraph ('however it almost reached 30 millicen in 2007' right after mentioning 2007). While an overview is attempted and some specific data points are reported, the misinterpretation of the income categories and minor data inaccuracies pull this down to a Band 5.0, where the task is addressed only partially and some details are incorrect or unclear.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the categories. However, cohesion is often faulty and mechanical. For instance, the overview paragraph is fragmented ('In contrast the lowest income was between $75,000-$99,999. Over the three years of period.'), and referencing is sometimes confusing. Paragraphing is attempted, but the logical progression between sentences is occasionally disrupted by abrupt shifts and missing links. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes inappropriately applied, leading to an overall score of 5.0 for this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, featuring basic terms such as 'illustrates', 'highest', 'lowest', 'declined slightly', and 'increased dramatically'. There are also noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'an annual income' (unnecessary article), 'percentage fell slightly' (referring to absolute numbers or categories), and the spelling mistake 'millicen'. Because the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the general topic but contains noticeable errors and lacks precision, it fits the Band 5.0 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is quite low. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'families earning less than $25,000 was 25 million' (plural subject with singular verb), 'Households earning from $25,000-$49,999 was higher', and 'Annual incomes... was standing below'. Punctuation and prepositions also need attention. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning the response with Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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