Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-01

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 millions in the United States by their yearly income in the years 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, it is clear that in the given three years most households earn over 100k annually which is them followed by the households that earn less than 50k annually and the smallest majority being the families that earn about 75k-99k.

In 2007, most families would earn about 100k or more per year and would remain at the top even in 2015 where approximatly 37 million households would earn 100,000 or more therefore marking its peak in all the other bars but in 2011 the dominance of this income bar broke as it was surpassed by the households earning between 25k to 49k as its numbers of households reached almost 30 million making this number the peak of its category and overall 2nd in the ranking.

The bar showcasing the households that earn less than 25k follows third in the ranking and peaks in 2011 at about approximately 30 million households earning this figure annually meanwhile catergories of

50k to 99k remain quite stationary with only slight fluctuations throughtout the three years with the housholds earning 79k-99k being the lowest at about almost 15 million in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, as the overall summary provided in the second paragraph contains notable generalisations and inaccuracies regarding the data. While the student attempts to outline the main features and trends, some ideas remain limited and under-developed, and certain figures are misread or confused with other categories. For instance, the statement that most households earn over 100k annually across all three years overlooks specific shifts, and details regarding peak years are inconsistently reported. To move up, the writer needs to select and present key features and comparisons more accurately without generalising or misinterpreting the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some basic organisation with an attempt at paragraphing, but the response lacks a clear overall progression. Sentences within paragraphs are often overly long and run-on, lacking proper punctuation and cohesive signposts, which makes the flow mechanical and sometimes difficult to follow. For example, the third paragraph consists of a single, highly convoluted sentence loaded with conjunctions like 'therefore marking' and 'but in 2011'. To achieve a higher band, the writer should use clearer logical sequencing, shorter and more controlled sentences, and a wider range of appropriate cohesive devices to connect ideas smoothly without repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic topic of the chart. The student attempts some less common terms and comparative structures, but noticeable errors in word choice, such as 'smallest majority'—which is a contradiction—and awkward phrasing like 'dominance of this income bar broke', cause some difficulty for the reader. Spelling is generally acceptable, but precision in collocation and word choice needs improvement. To progress, the writer should incorporate a wider and more precise range of lexical items suited to describing statistical data, avoiding contradictory or unnatural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a limited range of structures, relying heavily on long, sprawling sentences connected by coordinating conjunctions. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, marred by missing punctuation, run-on structures, and awkward phrasing. Frequent errors in verb tense consistency and clause management can cause difficulty for the reader trying to parse the data relationships. To improve, the writer must incorporate a better mix of simple and complex sentence forms with accurate punctuation, ensuring that grammatical boundaries between clauses are clearly marked and error-free.

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