Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-18

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 compares the proportion of households in the US by their annual income during the financial years 2007, 2011 and 2015.The x-axis reprents the year and the y-axis demonstrates the number of households in millions.

To begin with, in the year 2007, the number of households with the highest quantity of almost 30 million had a 100,000 or more income. Furthermore, 25 million households had an income less than 25,000 million which is the lowest in terms of quantity this year. In contrast, the year 2011 showed greater number of households with lesss than 25,000 net income. In the same year, the least number of households had an annual income of over 14 million. Finally, in the year 2015, the highest amount of households of almost 33 million had an income of over 100,000 dollars.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The student attempts to address the task by reporting several data points from the bar chart across the three years. However, the response is noticeably under length at 138 words, failing to meet the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall development of the task. Furthermore, there are some data misinterpretations, such as stating that '25 million households had an income less than 25,000 million' (confusing the number of households with the monetary value). While an overview is attempted through scattered descriptions, key comparisons over the period are underdeveloped. To improve, the student should ensure all data figures are accurately transcribed and provide a clearer, comprehensive summary of the main trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into a short introduction and a body paragraph, but the paragraphing is underdeveloped. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', 'In contrast', and 'Finally' are used to structure the text, but their application is sometimes awkward or mechanically forced. Logical progression is also hindered by abrupt shifts between years without clear topical groupings. For example, jumping between 2007, 2011, and 2015 without a consistent comparative structure makes the text difficult to follow. Pronoun referencing and overall cohesion require better control to ensure a smoother flow of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, featuring phrases like 'number of households', 'annual income', and 'lowest in terms of quantity'. There are significant lexical inaccuracies, such as the awkward phrasing 'income less than 25,000 million', which misuses financial and demographic terms. Spelling and word choice errors, such as 'reprents' and 'lesss', detract from the quality of the response. The range of vocabulary is limited and does not consistently demonstrate the flexibility needed for higher band scores in Task 1.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'the number of households with the highest quantity of almost 30 million had a 100,000 or more income.' However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with several awkward constructions and preposition errors throughout the text. There are also mechanical errors, such as missing spaces after periods (e.g., '2015.The x-axis'). Complex structures are often clumsy or inaccurate, which can cause confusion for the reader. More attention to subject-verb agreement and correct prepositions is needed.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.