Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-14

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 4.5)

The following chart illustrates, the information about the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall this report defines, that the highest number of households were 30 and the annual income was 100,000 millions dollars in 2007 while, the smallest number of households were about 15 things and the annual income was 25,000 millions dollars or less than in 2007.

Moreover, in 2011 the highest proportion of households were about 30 things and the annual price of these things was 25,000 millions dollars to 49,000 millions dollars. Furthermore, the smallest proportion of households were below 15 and the annual income was 25,000 millions dollars or less then in 2011.

In addition, in 2015 the largest amount of households were above 30 and the annual income was 100,000 millions dollars or more then.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the chart’s subject and gives a year-by-year account, including the rise in the $100,000-or-more group by 2015. However, the overview is inaccurate: in 2007 the largest group was households earning $100,000 or more, at about 29.5 million, not 30 million households earning “100,000 millions dollars”; the smallest was the $75,000–$99,999 group, not the under-$25,000 group. In 2011, the smallest group was again $75,000–$99,999, rather than under $25,000. The response also omits the stable middle-income category and gives little meaningful comparison. It contains 124 words, below the required 150, so the report is too limited to cover the main features adequately. Select accurate key comparisons and support them with figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction followed by comments on 2007, 2011 and 2015. Connectors such as “Overall,” “Moreover,” and “Furthermore” help signal the sequence, and the reader can generally follow the year-by-year organisation. However, the progression is repetitive and does not build a clear overview of the chart’s main patterns. Several transitions introduce another claim without showing how it compares with the previous year, and the final paragraph is only a single brief statement. Grouping related income bands or contrasting the highest and lowest categories across all three years would create a more coherent progression. Use linking expressions to clarify comparisons, rather than relying mainly on additive transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some relevant chart vocabulary, including “highest,” “smallest,” “proportion,” and “annual income,” so its basic topic is clear. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or imprecise. “30 things” and “15 things” are unsuitable for describing household totals, while “annual price of these things” confuses income with price. The repeated phrase “millions dollars” also misrepresents the units: the chart counts households in millions, while income is shown in dollar bands. “Report defines” is not a natural way to introduce an overview. Use precise terms such as “households,” “income band,” and “million households,” and avoid repeating vague expressions. Greater accuracy in these basic choices would make the information easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts several sentence forms, including longer sentences with “while” and “and,” and the basic year-by-year meaning is usually recoverable. However, control is uneven. Commas interrupt clauses in “The following chart illustrates, the information” and “Overall this report defines, that…,” and the repeated construction “the highest number … were” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The sentence about 2007 also combines two claims in a way that makes their relationship unclear. Most sentences follow similar patterns, so the range is limited. Practise accurate simple comparisons first, then add subordinate clauses while checking agreement, clause boundaries and punctuation. For example, distinguish clearly between the number of households and the income category.

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