Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-17
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 given bar graph illustrate the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Overall, it is seen that the proportion of households had a dominant sector in 2015 whereas there is the minor sector in 2007.However,the number of US households started to fluctuate in 2011.
In 2007,the proportion of households in the US rented around 30 million in $100,000 to more than it while the mininum amount was $15 million which less among all in $75,000 to 99,999.
By 2011,the population of the US started to rose and households had a significant growth by 30 million which is huge amount but the number gone down in $100,000 or more.
In 2015,the number of the US households started matching to 2011. Neverthless,the number became dominant sector and the greatest number among all around 33 million wh
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the chart, noting various income brackets and years. However, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement (containing only 143 words), which automatically caps the task achievement score. Furthermore, the data reporting contains significant inaccuracies and confusion (for example, stating that households 'rented around 30 million' and confusing numbers of households with monetary amounts or population sizes). The overview attempts to capture general trends, but the language used is vague ('had a dominant sector', 'started to fluctuate') and fails to clearly highlight the overall trajectory of US household incomes. Key comparisons between categories, such as the growth in the highest income bracket, are poorly articulated.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into short paragraphs, but the logical flow and progression of ideas are frequently disrupted by confusing phrasing and abrupt transitions. While some basic time markers like 'In 2007', 'By 2011', and 'In 2015' are used to structure the response, cohesive devices are often awkward or misused, such as 'However, the number of US households started to fluctuate' and 'Neverthless, the number became dominant sector'. Referencing is unclear at times, making it difficult for the reader to follow which income bracket or year is being discussed. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph trails off incomplete, further hindering structural coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and frequently inaccurate. The student misuses vocabulary related to statistics and data description, such as using 'rented' instead of 'reached' or 'amounted to', and confusing 'population' and 'proportion' with the number of households. There are also noticeable collocation and word choice errors, such as 'the mininum amount was $15 million which less among all'. Spelling errors like 'Neverthless' and spacing issues ('In 2007,the') detract from the overall quality. While the student attempts to use some task-specific vocabulary ('bar graph', 'households', 'annual income'), the high frequency of lexical inaccuracies impedes clear communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple or awkwardly constructed complex sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing prepositions, incorrect verb tenses, and issues with comparative structures (e.g., 'which less among all'). Punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after commas (e.g., '2007,the') and missing terminal punctuation due to the response cutting off mid-sentence at the end. These persistent errors cause difficulty for the reader and demonstrate weak control over basic sentence mechanics.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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