Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-07

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 chart illustrate that one year salary in 2007, 2011 and 2015 of the number of household in USA.

Overall, the graph chart give the information of number of household in USA by annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015. In 2007, household income was 25 million it was less then 25,000 dollar and household income was 27 million and it was about 25,000 dollar to 49,999 dollar and the next was 21 million it was about 50,000 to 74,999 dollar and the other was 14 million household number it income was about 75,000 to 99,999 dollar and the last was 29 million number of household it was about 100,000 or more dollar.

In 2011 and 2015, number of household in 2011 was 28 million less then 25,000 dollar and in 2015 it was 27 million income was less then 25,000 dollar. number of household was about 30 million and 28 million and it income was about 25,000 to 49,999 dollar. number of household was 22 million in selective two years and it income was about 50,000 to 74,999 dollar. Number of household was 14 million and in 2015 it was 20 million and it income was 75,000 to 99,999 dollar. Number of household was 27 million and in 2015 it was about 33 million and it income was about 100,000 or more dollar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and report figures for all three years and all five income groups, so the response contains relevant information. However, it mainly lists values rather than selecting and comparing the key features, and the overview repeats the task description instead of summarising the main trends. Some figures are also inaccurate: for example, the $75,000–$99,999 group in 2015 is about 15 million, not 20 million, and the $50,000–$74,999 group is about 21 million in each year, rather than 22 million in the later years. The highest-income group rises to about 33.5 million in 2015, an important feature worth highlighting. A clearer overview and more accurate comparisons would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an opening, a general statement, and paragraphs covering 2007 and the later years. This gives the reader some organisation, and the income categories are generally presented in a consistent order. However, there is little overall progression because the overview does not identify the main trends, and most of the response is a repetitive sequence of figures. Phrases such as “and the next,” “the other,” and repeated “number of household” do not clearly show relationships between the data. The shift from 2011 to 2015 is also difficult to follow in some sentences. Grouping categories by trend and using clear comparisons such as “remained stable” or “rose sharply” would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to name the years, household counts, and income bands, and the repeated income ranges help keep the topic identifiable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural, including “one year salary,” “graph chart,” and “it income was about.” Repetition of “number of household” and “about” also makes the report less precise. These choices sometimes make the intended meaning harder to understand, particularly when the writer describes a category rather than the households within it. Use standard chart language and vary the verbs used to describe change. For example, “households earning” is clearer than “household income was” when reporting the number in an income band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect information in longer sentences, but the grammatical range is limited and errors occur frequently. Subject–verb agreement is inconsistent: “The graph chart illustrate” and “the graph chart give” should use singular verb forms. Singular and plural forms are also confused in “number of household,” while sentence boundaries and capitalisation are unreliable, as in “dollar. number of household.” Several clauses are joined without clear grammatical structure, such as “In 2007, household income was 25 million it was less then 25,000 dollar.” This makes some comparisons difficult to interpret. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, then add accurate clauses using “while” or “whereas” to compare years.

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