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 bar chart compares the information about the annual income by US citizens in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Overall, the number of households who received $100,000 and more were the highest in 2007 and 2015. While, people earned around $75,000 to $99,999 were the least in all three years.
In 2007, 25 million of households gained at approximately less than $25,000; followed by, it increased by around 4 million families in 2011. While, by 2015, it decreased slightly. Those families received at approximately $100,000 and more were the highest in 2007 and 2015, whenever, in 2011, the number of households were over the 25 million. In contrast, at approximately 26 million people had annual income around between $25,000 and $49,999, it increased up to 30 million. After that, in 2015 te decreased. In addition, only 21 million number of US households received around $50,000-$74,999 in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Moreover, below 15 million families had income around $75,000 to $99,999.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student makes a strong attempt to address the prompt by reporting key data points across the three years, such as the highest and lowest income categories. However, there are several factual inaccuracies in reading the chart. For example, the student states that households earning '$100,000 and more were the highest in 2007 and 2015', which is correct, but gets mixed up on specific figures and trends, such as stating 'te decreased' for the middle-income bracket or misinterpreting the values for other groups. Furthermore, the overview is rather simplistic and contains slight inaccuracies regarding categories. Overall, the response addresses the main features but suffers from imprecise data reporting and flawed data interpretation, which aligns closely with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph. However, the internal progression and logical sequencing within the body paragraph are weak and disjointed. The student uses cohesive devices awkwardly or inaccurately, such as 'While, by 2015...', 'followed by, it increased', and the strange transition 'whenever, in 2011'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of information lacks clear thematic focus. Reference words are sometimes ambiguous or misused, resulting in a mechanical and slightly confusing flow that disrupts the reader's comprehension. This level of organization and cohesive control corresponds to a Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to communicate basic information about the chart, utilizing terms such as 'households', 'annual income', and 'increase'. However, there are numerous lexical errors, awkward phrasing, and unnatural collocations throughout the text. Examples include 'the annual income by US citizens', 'gained at approximately less than', and 'te decreased' (typographical error). The student attempts less common vocabulary but lacks control over word choice and preposition use, frequently leading to imprecise or confusing expressions. Vocabulary usage overall satisfies the criteria for 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 punctuation is inconsistent. Frequent grammatical errors impede readability and distort meaning at times, such as missing subjects, incorrect verb forms ('people earned around' instead of 'people earning'), and faulty clause integration ('Those families received at approximately $100,000 and more were the highest...'). Punctuation is also problematic, with misuse of commas before dependent clauses or conjunctions ('While, by 2015...'). Because errors occur frequently and cause some difficulty for the reader, the writing sits firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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