Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-28
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 illustrates the number of households in the United States by their annual salary in 2007, 2009 and 2015.
Overall, 2015 showed the highest number of households, while 2009 had the lowest number of households over the period.
The number of US households with annual incomes in 2007 ranged from about 25 million to approximately 29 million. While the number of US households with annual incomes in 2009 ranged from approximately 29 million to about 27 million. The number of US households with annual incomes in 2007 and 2015 showed a similar pattern.
Similarly, the number of US households with annual incomes in 2015 ranged from about 27 million to approximately 33 million. 2015 had the highest number of households with annual incomes. In contrast, 2009 had the lowest number of households with annual incomes.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The student attempts to summarize the chart, but there are significant errors in data interpretation and task execution. First, the years given in the prompt are 2007, 2011, and 2015, but the student repeatedly refers to 2009 instead of 2011. Second, the response fails to properly report the main income categories, instead offering vague statements about ranges across years. Additionally, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 137 words. While an overall trend is attempted in the overview, the lack of specific data points from the actual income brackets limits the development.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text is organized into short paragraphs, including a brief introduction and an overview. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of clear cohesive devices connecting the income groups. Phrases like 'The number of US households with annual incomes in 2007 ranged from...' are repeated mechanically without effectively linking comparisons across the different income brackets. Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall logical flow is weakened by the confusion over the years and the lack of structured body paragraphs dedicated to specific data comparisons.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is largely repetitive and basic, relying heavily on phrases like 'number of US households with annual incomes' and 'ranged from'. There is an attempt to use standard vocabulary relating to charts, such as 'illustrates', 'overall', and 'highest', but the lexical range is narrow. Furthermore, inaccuracies in referencing data points and the confusion over the year 2009 demonstrate limited control over task-specific lexis.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student uses simple and moderately complex sentence structures, such as 'The bar chart illustrates...' and 'While the number of US households...'. However, there are incomplete or awkward constructions, such as 'While the number of US households with annual incomes in 2009 ranged from approximately 29 million to about 27 million.', which functions as a dependent clause without a main clause. Grammatical control is generally okay for basic sentences, but the structural errors and repetitive patterns keep it at a modest level.
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