Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-02

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 graph illustrates the amount of household of the US on their annual income between 2007, 2011 and 2015.

overall, the number of household was almost same in $75000-$99,999 and $50,000-$74,999. after that, the number of household was on peak in $100,000 or more.

it is clear that the number of household was less than $25,000 in $2007, then $25,000-$49,999 in 2007. furthermore, the number of household was $50,000-$74,999, and then $75000-$99,999 in 2007. in addition, the amount of household was increased from $25,000, but the number of household was rise from $25,000-$49,000. in contrast the number of household was approximately same in $55,000-$74,000, $75,000-$99,999 and $100,000 or more in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

it is evident that the number of household was slightly declined and reach 29millions in less than $25,000 in 2011, then the number of household almost stable in less than $25,000 in 2015. moreover, the number of household was 30millions in $25,000-$49,999 in 2011, and same as in 2015. but the number of household in $100,000 or more was higher point 33millions in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response attempts to address the prompt by discussing the US household income chart, but the information is presented in a very confused and repetitive manner. Key features are partially reported, such as mentioning the highest income category, but the selection of data is erratic and often confusingly linked to the wrong years. For instance, the text claims that categories like '$50,000-$74,999' occurred specifically 'in 2007' when they actually spanned all three years. Furthermore, there is no clear overview of the main trends across the period, and the overall summary attempts provided in the second sentence are disjointed and difficult to follow. To improve towards higher bands, the writer needs to select the most significant overall trends and present the data accurately without confusing the categories with specific individual years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The organisation of the text is weak, lacking a clear overall progression. The response is broken into paragraphs, but the logical flow between and within them is frequently disrupted. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or inaccurately, such as repetitive reliance on connectors like 'furthermore', 'in addition', and 'in contrast' which do not logically connect the ideas that follow. Referencing is also problematic, as the pronoun and time references often confuse the reader regarding which year or income bracket is being discussed. To achieve a higher score, the writer must structure the report logically—typically with a distinct introduction, an overview, and clearly grouped body paragraphs—and use cohesive devices smoothly to guide the reader through comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic phrasing like 'the number of household' and 'amount of household' throughout the text. There are also frequent word choice and collocation issues, such as using 'amount' instead of 'number' for countable households, and stating that figures 'reach 29millions' or were at a 'higher point'. Spelling errors and incorrect word forms also appear, such as the lowercase starting letters for sentences. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey a basic topic, it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. To improve, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of synonyms for data reporting, such as 'figure', 'proportion', or 'quantity', and ensure correct collocation and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is extremely limited, relying almost entirely on repetitive simple structures or faulty attempts at complex sentences. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, including missing pluralization ('amount of household' instead of 'households'), incorrect prepositions ('in the US on their annual income', 'in less than $25,000'), and missing articles. Verb tense usage and consistency are also problematic when describing past data. Furthermore, punctuation is entirely ignored, with every sentence beginning with a lowercase letter and lacking proper capitalization. To progress, the writer needs to demonstrate a greater variety of sentence structures while significantly improving basic accuracy in verb forms, plurals, prepositions, and sentence punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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