Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-21
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 4.0)
→ Looking from an overall, it is clearly seen that the maximum number of US household in the last year. while this figure was the least in first year during the given time period.
To begin with, the number of US household by Annual income stood at 25 millions in 2007. there was a slow encline in US household to approximately 27 million. and Similar in 2015. The number of US household by annual income was accounted as 25 millions and It had increased slowly 30 millions in 2011 and decreased 29 in 2015
Furthermore, The number of US household by annual income was noticed 30 in 2007. and then 2011 was 25 in 2011 and in 2015 it was 37.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping at only 121 words. Furthermore, the content fails to accurately report the data from the chart. The student attempts an overview, but writes "the maximum number of US household in the last year. while this figure was the least in first year", which is grammatically incomplete and factually vague. The body paragraphs contain severely distorted figures and confusion across different income brackets (for instance, reporting conflicting numbers for 2007 and 2011). Because the response is under-length and contains inaccurate data selection and reporting, it falls under the Band 4 descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The essay lacks clear logical organisation and progression. The response begins with a fragmented overview ("Looking from an overall, it is clearly seen that...") followed by three disjointed paragraphs that mix up data points without a clear thematic structure. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion is faulty due to missing links, sudden shifts in topic, and repetitive phrasing such as "The number of US household by annual income". Referencing is often unclear, leaving the reader confused about which income bracket is being discussed. This fits the Band 4 descriptors where information and ideas are not arranged coherently.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, heavily relying on copied phrases from the prompt such as "number of US household by annual income". There are frequent word choice errors, such as "encline" instead of decline. The student attempts to use numerical and trend vocabulary, but the restricted range and inaccuracies prevent precise communication. With a limited, repetitive vocabulary and noticeable errors that strain the reader, the response corresponds to Band 4.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The grammatical range is very limited, consisting mostly of simple and attempted complex sentences that are heavily flawed. There are numerous punctuation and capitalization errors, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters ("while this figure...") and missing periods followed by lowercase starts ("...in 2007. there was..."). Verb tenses and prepositions are frequently misused, as seen in "increased slowly 30 millions in 2011 and decreased 29 in 2015". These persistent errors cause frequent difficulty for the reader, aligning with Band 4.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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