Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-22
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 chart illustrates the number of households by yearly income throughout the years from 2007 to 2015. X axis represent the number of households in millions from 0-35, On the other hand, the y-axis represents the years. In addition, the colour bars represent the different amounts of households, ranging from 25,000 dollars to [redacted phone] dollars.
The household with the ammount of less than 25000 dollars slightly increased from the year 2007 to 2011, then there is a minimal decline observed from 2011 to 2015. On the other hand, the household with the number of 25000-49,999 dollars also face the same situation through out the year from 2007 to 2015. Furthermore, we didn't see a significant change in the household with the range of [redacted phone]9 dollars. The household with the number of 75,000-99,999 dollars decline slowly from the year of 2007 to 2011then again reaches to its peak value of 15000 dollars. The household with a number of 100,000 dollars gradually decline from the year of 2007 to 2011, then dramatically increased to its peak point in the year of 2015.
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 describing various trends shown in the chart, such as the slight increase in households earning less than $25,000 between 2007 and 2011. However, there are significant flaws in data interpretation and feature selection. For example, the description of the $100,000 or more bracket contains inaccuracies regarding the 2007-2011 period, and the axes are completely misidentified in the introduction ('X axis represent the number of households... On the other hand, the y-axis represents the years'). Furthermore, an overall summary or overview of the main trends is entirely missing, which prevents the response from achieving a higher band. These limitations place the performance at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into two main paragraphs, separating the introduction from the body details. However, there is no clear overall progression or introduction of a summary overview, which disrupts the logical flow expected in an academic task. Cohesive devices are somewhat repetitive and mechanical, relying heavily on phrases like 'On the other hand' (used incorrectly in places) and 'The household with the number of'. Paragraphing is basic and referencing between sentences can occasionally be confusing. Overall, the organization shows some structure but lacks cohesive polish, aligning well with the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses a limited and repetitive range of vocabulary, frequently reusing phrases like 'the household with the number of' or 'from the year of 2007 to 2011'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'ammount', 'face the same situation', and confusing income ranges with household counts (e.g., 'the household with the number of 25000-49,999 dollars'). While some basic vocabulary is adequate to convey simple points, the lack of precision and frequent repetition restrict the lexical score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and mechanics is weak. There are frequent basic errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('X axis represent', 'household... decline slowly'), punctuation errors (missing commas and periods, such as '2011then'), and spelling mistakes ('ammount'). Tense consistency is also problematic, shifting awkwardly between past and present descriptions. These frequent errors cause occasional difficulty for the reader and reflect a Band 5.0 level of grammatical accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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