Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-13

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)

Details pertaining to yearly income of numbers of households inin the US in 2007, 2011 and 2015 are delineated by the provided bar graph.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that the proportion of households of $50, 000- $74,999 remained steady at 21 million from 2007 to 2015. The annual income of households $100,000 or more between 2007 and 2015 was increased from approximately 29 million to 33 million.

Scrutinizing deeper into the bar graph, $75,000-$99,999 was always a half of the annual income households of $100,000 or more in all years. The houses, who have annual income less tha $25,000 and $25,000-$49,999 was fluctuating in all the given years. The income oHouses of having $75,000-$99,999

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify two relevant features: the $50,000–$74,999 group stays at about 21 million, and the $100,000-or-more group rises overall. However, the response only partially covers the chart: it gives few figures and omits the important 2011-to-2015 changes, including the high-income group’s peak at roughly 33.5 million and the broadly similar levels of the two lowest-income groups. The claim that $75,000–$99,999 was always half the size of the highest-income group is inaccurate; the figures are about 14–15 million versus 27.5–33.5 million. The final sentence is unfinished, and the response is 34 words below the required minimum. Add a fuller overview and accurate comparisons across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and a further-details paragraph, and the opening overview signals relevant trends. However, progression is limited: the details paragraph moves between income groups without a clear comparison pattern, and the final sentence, “The income oHouses of having $75,000-$99,999,” is incomplete, leaving the response unfinished. Some linking is also awkward or unclear, particularly “The houses, who have…” and the repeated reference to “annual income households.” Organise the body by grouping related categories or by describing changes across the years, and use clear references such as “this category” to connect sentences. Completing the final thought would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “remained steady,” “fluctuating,” and “approximately,” and the income bands are generally identifiable. However, several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, such as “Details pertaining to yearly income of numbers of households” and “Scrutinizing deeper into the bar graph.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-form problems, including “in in,” “less tha,” and “oHouses,” which distract from the information. “Proportion” is not the right term for a count measured in millions; use “number” or “figure.” Aim for direct, accurate chart language and check spelling and category labels carefully. This would make the limited range more effective and easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few complex forms, including “it can be clearly seen that…” and a relative clause beginning “who have,” but control is inconsistent. For example, “The annual income of households … was increased” uses an incorrect passive construction; write that the number of households “increased.” In “The houses … and … was fluctuating,” the subject is plural, so the verb form does not agree, and the sentence structure is difficult to follow. The final fragment is not a complete sentence. Most sentences rely on similar basic patterns, and errors in verb forms, agreement and sentence completion sometimes make the meaning harder to follow. Practise concise comparisons using accurate subjects and verbs, then proofread each sentence for completeness.

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

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