Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-12

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

It is clear that the highest number of households chores brought by their annual income was 100,000 or more dollar in the US. In contrast, the count for households chores brought 75,000-99,999 dollar was the lowest in the given periods.

In terms of 2007,the number of household chores brought by their yearly income was 100,000 or more dollar, at 30 million, which was higher than other categories, at less than 25000, [redacted phone]9, [redacted phone]9 and [redacted phone]9 dollar, at 25, 27, 20 and 14 million respectively.

For the remaining information, between 2011 and 2015, the number of households was bought by less than 25000 and [redacted phone]9 and 100,000 dollar was the approximately same, at 33, 30 million and this figure for [redacted phone]9 and [redacted phone]9 dollar, at 20 and 14 million was the least popular among of categories.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and provide an overview that recognises the $75,000–$99,999 group as the smallest. However, the claim that households earning $100,000 or more were the largest in all three years is inaccurate: this group led in 2007 and 2015, but the $25,000–$49,999 group was highest in 2011. The body gives some relevant 2007 figures, though several are imprecise, and the final paragraph does not clearly compare the years: it combines figures from 2011 and 2015 and describes them as approximately the same. Important trends, such as the rise in the highest-income group by 2015 and the stability of the $50,000–$74,999 group, are not clearly reported. Select and compare the main changes more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs of details. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “In contrast” and “For the remaining information” attempt to connect ideas. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph groups figures from two different years without clearly distinguishing them, making the comparison difficult to follow. The repeated construction “the number of households …” also makes the report feel repetitive, while some references, such as “this figure,” are unclear because several figures have just been mentioned. Organise the details by year or by income-group trends, and use clearer links and references so each comparison is easy to trace.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “annual income,” “highest,” and “lowest,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive, and at times they strain understanding. For example, “households brought by their yearly income” and “households chores brought” do not express the intended idea; “households by income” or “households earning” would be more natural. “Bought” is also repeated where the chart describes the number of households, not purchases. Income bands are inconsistently written, and “least popular” is unsuitable for describing a category’s size. Build a more precise range of reporting language, such as “accounted for,” “stood at,” and “increased,” and use it accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including an overview with a contrast and a longer sentence listing several figures. Some basic meaning is recoverable, but grammatical control is uneven. For instance, “the highest number … was 100,000 or more dollar” has an awkward sentence structure, and “between 2011 and 2015, the number … was the approximately same” does not form a clear comparison. There are also errors in articles, number agreement, and punctuation, as in “In terms of 2007,the number of household.” Commas and full stops are not consistently managed, and the long final sentence becomes difficult to parse. Practise accurate simple comparison sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses using “while” or “whereas.”

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