Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)
The bar graph displays the data of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015. In 2015, the highest annual income above 30 millions has recorded.
The statistics shows annual income range from $25,000 to more than $100,000 in each year. The drastic variation reflect in all income group.
In 2007, the highest rank has covered the range of more than $100,000 and the lowest category included $75,000 to $99,000 annual income. In 2011, almost three annual income categories has a similar ranked including "less than $25,000, range from $25,000 to $49,999, and $100,000 or more". Remaining two categories were at the lowest. In 2015, the highest stand included one category which is above $100,000, two categories has slightly same which includes from "25,000 to 49,999". However, two categories shows the lowest rank.
In conclusion, two categories range from $50,000 to $99,999 are the lowest in all years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response only minimally addresses the task. While the student attempts to describe the bar chart showing US household income across three years, the information presented is heavily confused, imprecise, and poorly selected. Key data points are misreported or generalized in a vague manner, such as claiming the highest annual income was 'above 30 millions' rather than specifying income brackets and their corresponding household numbers. Furthermore, the overview attempted in the conclusion regarding income ranges being the 'lowest in all years' is inaccurate based on the chart. To move up, the writer needs to accurately report specific figures, make valid comparisons between categories, and provide a clear, factual overview of the main trends.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The response shows some organization with paragraphs attempted, but there is no clear overall progression or logical structure. Sentences are disjointed, and referencing between ideas is frequently unclear. Cohesive devices are either missing or misused, making it difficult for the reader to follow the flow of information. For instance, transitional phrases and pronouns are handled poorly, resulting in a repetitive and mechanical delivery. To improve cohesion, the student must learn to link sentences logically, group related data together effectively, and ensure that referencing words clearly point to the intended subjects or categories.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic, repetitive, and at times strained, reflecting a limited and minimally adequate range for this task. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'highest rank has covered' and 'highest stand included one category', which can cause some confusion for the reader. Spelling and word forms also lack precision. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to incorporate a wider range of precise vocabulary suitable for describing statistical data, such as appropriate reporting verbs, nouns, and adjectives like 'fluctuate', 'significant', or 'proportion', and use them accurately within correct collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences with frequent structural errors. There are numerous mistakes in basic grammar, including subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'The statistics shows', 'two categories has'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'has recorded', 'reflect in'), and missing articles or prepositions. Attempts at more complex structures are notably faulty, and frequent errors occasionally obscure the intended meaning. To progress, the student must focus on foundational grammatical accuracy, correct tense usage for past data, and proper subject-verb agreement while gradually integrating error-free complex sentence patterns.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.