Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-06
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 chart illustrates the number of US households by their annual income in 2007,2011 and 2015
Overall ,the figure showed an upward trend while maintaining a fluctuated pattern for some income categories between 2007 and 2015.
In 2007 25 millions of households' annual income was less than $25000.
The number increased in 2011 and became nearly 30 millions. However the number decreased in 2015.
More than 25 millions of households' annual income was between $25000 to $49,999 in 2007. It fluctuated between 2011 and 2015.
Regarding the annual income between $50,000 to $74,999 the number of US households remain unchanged between 2007 and 2015.
Whereas, the figure slightly increased for the annual income between $[redacted phone] to $99,999.
In 2007 about 30 million of households' annual income was $100,000 or more while the number decreased in 2011. Subsequently, the number considerably increased in 2015. More than 30 millions of households' annual income was 100,000 or more.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response partially addresses the task by attempting to report the main features and compare some income categories from the chart. However, the word count is 147 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum requirement. This negative impact on length is compounded by several imprecise references to data points and a lack of a clear, fully developed overview. While the introduction briefly mentions an upward and fluctuating pattern, the supporting details lack precision, such as stating '25 millions' instead of millions, and missing clear comparisons between categories at single time points. To improve to the next band, the response must meet the minimum word count and provide a more comprehensive overview that clearly highlights the most significant trends across all categories.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The essay displays some organization with an introductory sentence and paragraph-like breaks, but it lacks a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is disjointed, and single sentences are often isolated as separate paragraphs rather than being grouped logically by trends or years. Cohesive devices are minimal, repetitive, or mechanically applied, with over-reliance on basic transition words like 'However' and 'Whereas'. Referencing within the text is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the logical development of ideas. For a higher band, the writer needs to group related data into cohesive paragraphs and employ a wider range of logical connectors to smoothly link sentences and ideas together.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is a limited but minimally adequate range for the task, attempting some topic-specific terms like 'annual income' and 'households'. However, there are noticeable errors in word form and expression, such as 'fluctuated pattern' instead of fluctuating pattern, and incorrect pluralization in expressions like '25 millions of households' instead of 25 million households. Repetition of basic verbs and phrasing restricts the lexical range. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate a more varied selection of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'growth', 'decline', and 'remain stable', while ensuring correct word formation and numerical expressions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writing relies on a limited range of simple and basic complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors that cause difficulty or require rereading, including missing punctuation at the ends of sentences, incorrect omission of articles, and subject-verb agreement issues such as 'the number of US households remain unchanged'. Attempts at complex structures are often faulty. To improve, the student needs to use a greater variety of complex sentence forms with better control over verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and basic punctuation such as periods at the ends of sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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