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)

The barchart displays number of households in united states by their annual income in 2007,2011 and 2015.Households mentioned in millions.

Overall,it is observed that in year 2007 and 2015 $100,000 or more was popular in both the years and decreased in year 2011.Whereas,$ 75,000-99,999 marked least in given period.

An analysis of the image reveals that in year 2007 nearly 30 millions of people earn $100,000 or more these were the highest trend, 15 millions of population earn 75,000-99,999 dollars per year. 20 millions of people income were 54,- 74,000 per annum.More than 25 millions pf population earned 25-49,000$ per year and less than 25 dollars earned per annum were earned by 25 millions people.

In year 2011 30 millions of people earn $25,-49,999 per annum which is highest in this year.75,-99,999 dollar were the least .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and provide an overview, noting that the $100,000-or-more group was highest in 2007 and 2015, while the $75,000–$99,999 group was the smallest. However, the report is incomplete: it gives no account of the 2015 figures beyond the overview, and the overview’s claim that the $75,000–$99,999 category was least throughout is inaccurate, since the $50,000–$74,999 group was smaller in 2007 and 2011. Some figures are also misreported or unclear, such as “20 millions” for the $50,000–$74,999 group in 2007 (about 21 million). The response contains 130 words, 20 below the minimum; nine words copied from the prompt were excluded. Add the missing comparisons and report the main trends accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs beginning with details for 2007 and 2011. This helps the reader recognise the intended sequence. However, the response stops before describing 2015, so the progression across all three years is incomplete. Connections between details are also limited: “Whereas” introduces a fragment rather than a complete contrast, and the 2007 figures are crowded into one long sentence. Punctuation spacing is inconsistent, making boundaries between ideas harder to follow. Organise the body by comparing categories across years, or use one paragraph per period, and connect comparisons with clear, accurate linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses relevant chart vocabulary, including “households,” “annual income,” “highest,” and “least,” and it attempts to describe quantities and comparisons. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the data difficult to interpret. For example, “30 millions of people earn” confuses households with people and uses an unsuitable quantity phrase; “popular” does not describe the largest income category, and “highest trend” is not a natural way to report a figure. Income bands are also written inconsistently, including “54,- 74,000.” Use precise terms such as “number of households,” “income bracket,” and “stood at,” and reproduce each band clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a contrast, but the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. Examples include the missing verb in “Households mentioned in millions,” the incorrect agreement and tense in “30 millions of people earn,” and the incomplete clause “Whereas, $75,000-99,999 marked least.” Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention: the opening would be clearer as “The bar chart shows the number of households in the United States,” with spaces after commas and full stops. Practise complete subject–verb sentences and consistent past-tense reporting, for example, “The figure stood at about 30 million households.”

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.