Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-19

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 4.5)

The chart gives us information about the households in US. In this chart we also talk about their annual income between years 2007 to 2015.

The income of US citizens are in millions. The scale on the left side of the chart measures the citizens of the US. However, the highest income of US citizen is [redacted phone] dollar or more whole the lowest is less then 25000.

There are five column in each year. The first column is for the people who has income of less than 25000 the second represents the people who has income of 25000 to 49999 the third column gives us information about the people who has stale income of 50000 to 74999. The fourth column people has income of 75000 to 99999. Now the last column people has more than [redacted phone] of income.

Overall, the chart is very informative. The chart carries a lot of useful information.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response attempts to summarize the chart, but it falls significantly short of a fully developed answer. While it identifies the general topic (US households by annual income between 2007 and 2015) and mentions some income brackets, it fails to present a clear overview or report the main features and comparisons as required by the task. Instead of synthesizing the data trends, the writer describes the structure of the chart (e.g., 'There are five column in each year'). Furthermore, no actual figures or changes over time are reported, and the conclusion merely praises the chart rather than summarizing key data. This corresponds to a Band 4.5 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The organization of the text is basic and lacks clear logical progression. The response is broken into very short paragraphs, and the sentences are disjointed. Cohesive devices are either missing or misused (e.g., 'Now the last column people has...'). There is no clear framework connecting the introduction, body description, and conclusion. While the general topic is maintained, referencing is weak and the flow is frequently interrupted by abrupt shifts in focus from categories to columns, reflecting Band 4.5 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic, repetitive, and restricted to simple descriptive terms (e.g., 'chart', 'information', 'people', 'column', 'income'). There are several lexical and grammatical word choice errors, such as 'citizens of the US' being used to describe income measurements, and spelling/form issues like 'then' instead of 'than'. The writer does not demonstrate the ability to use less common vocabulary or paraphrasing effectively, which is characteristic of a Band 4.0 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The writer relies on very simple sentence structures with frequent grammatical and punctuation errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'The income of US citizens are', 'the people who has income'), missing articles ('in US'), and awkward phrasing ('whole the lowest is less then 25000'). Complex structures are rarely attempted and, when they are, contain errors that occasionally impede smooth reading. This level of control fits comfortably within the Band 4.0 criteria.

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

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