Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The chart illustrates the number of households in the United States by their actual income between the years, 2007,2011 and 2015.

Overall, 34 million of household wo earns $100,000 or more increased significantly, while the 21 and 14 million of households had remained the same figure. Meanwhile, households who earn $25,000 to $50,000 increased gradually and fell down.

In 2007, around 29 millions of households who earn $100,000 or more, 25 millions who earn less than $25,000, 27 millions who earns almost $50,000, 21 million who earns approximately $75,000, and 14 millions who maximum $100,000. In 2011, 28 millions who earn less than $25,000, 30 millions who earns around $50,000, and the figure of those who earns $50,000 to $100,000 remained the same. Meanwhile, the figure decreased gradually for those who earn $100,000 or more. In 2015, almost 27 to 28 millions who earns less than $25,000 and maximum $50,000. The figure who earns $50,000 to $100,00 remained same. In contrast, the figure for those who earns $100,000 or above increased significantly 28 millions to 33 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include an overview, noting the rise in the $100,000-or-more group and stability in some middle-income categories. However, several key figures and trends are misreported, which limits the accuracy of the summary. For example, the $75,000–$99,999 group is about 14–15 million, not 21 million, and the $50,000–$74,999 group stays near 21 million. The $25,000–$49,999 category rises to about 29.5 million in 2011, then falls to 28.5 million; it does not simply “increase gradually and fell down.” The highest-income group dips in 2011 before reaching about 33.5 million in 2015. Select the main comparisons and check each figure against its income band before describing trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and details arranged by year. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, progression is weakened by unclear comparisons and repeated phrasing, especially the repeated “the figure” and “who earn” constructions. The overview says that some figures “had remained the same,” but does not clearly identify the relevant income bands, and the final paragraph combines several categories in a way that is difficult to follow. Use one paragraph for the overview and group the details by meaningful trends, such as the stable middle-income group and the changing highest-income group. Clear references to each income band will also make the comparisons easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “increased significantly,” “decreased gradually,” and “remained the same,” and the income ranges are generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear. “Actual income” is not the natural description here; “annual income” is more precise. Phrases such as “fell down,” “maximum $50,000,” and “the figure who earns” make the data harder to interpret. There is also inconsistent use of “households” and “millions” when reporting quantities. Aim for concise, accurate expressions such as “the number of households earning…” and “the $25,000–$49,999 bracket.” This would improve precision without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the reader can usually identify the broad topic of each sentence. However, grammatical errors are frequent, particularly in subject–verb agreement, sentence construction, and articles. Examples include “household wo earns,” “households who earns,” and “the figure who earns,” where the subject and verb or pronoun do not agree. The opening phrase “between the years, 2007,2011 and 2015” also has awkward punctuation and structure. Several data lists are sentence fragments, such as “In 2007, around 29 millions of households…”; these need a main verb. Practise complete comparison sentences and check agreement, for example: “The number of households earning $100,000 or more fell in 2011, then rose in 2015.”

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