Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-15

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 given bar chart illustrates the information about number of US households in million by their annual income during 2007, 2011, 2015.

Overall, different years ranges from 2007 to 2015 are ploted on X axis, whereas, different number of households ranges from 0 to 35 are ploted on Y axis. Although, it contains five different categories of annual income such as less than $25,000, $25,000 to $49,999, $ 50,000 to $74,999, $75,000 to $99,999, and $100,000 or more.

To commence with, in 2007 the annual income of approx 15 million households are between $75,000 to $99,999 which aquires the lowest number of US household, while the highest proportion obtains by approximately 30 million households which recieve $100,000 or more annual income. Additionally, in 2011 households betwwen 25 to 30 million accounted less then $25,000 and between $25,000 to $49,999. However, in 2015 highest proportion of annual income is contains by above 30 million households which made $100, 000 or more.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report some relevant comparisons, including that the $100,000-or-more group was highest in 2007 and 2015, while the $75,000–$99,999 group was lowest in 2007. However, the response only partially summarises the data: it gives no clear overview of the main changes across all three years and omits several important patterns. For example, the highest-income group fell from about 29.5 million in 2007 to 27.5 million in 2011 before rising to roughly 33.5 million in 2015; the middle-income group remained stable at around 21 million. The statement about 2011 households in the two lower-income bands is also imprecise. Select the key trends and compare them accurately rather than describing the axes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable paragraph structure: an introduction, a general paragraph, and a paragraph with selected figures. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “Overall,” “To commence with,” and “Additionally” signal relationships between points. However, progression is limited because the overview mainly lists the axes and income categories instead of summarising the main trends. The final paragraph moves from 2007 to 2011 and then 2015 without developing a consistent comparison across the categories. Some linking words are awkwardly used, particularly “Although” at the start of a sentence that does not present a contrast. Group the data by meaningful trends and use connectors to clarify those comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “categories,” “proportion,” and “annual income,” and the income bands are generally identified clearly. There is some variety in how you refer to the figures, but word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and occasionally make the description less clear. Examples include “ploted,” “aquires,” “betwwen,” and “recieve”; “the highest proportion … is contains by” is also an unnatural expression. In addition, “income … made” does not accurately describe households’ income. Aim for precise, natural collocations used in data reporting, such as “the number of households in this band” or “households earning.” Proofreading spelling and choosing standard chart language would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentence forms, including a contrast with “while” and a clause beginning “Although,” but control is inconsistent. Errors occur in basic agreement and sentence construction: “different years ranges” should use a plural verb, and “the highest proportion … is contains” has an incorrect verb form and structure. Other examples include “the annual income … households are between,” where the relationship between income and households is not grammatically expressed, and “households … accounted less then,” which lacks a suitable construction. The sentence beginning “Although” is also incomplete in its logical structure. Use straightforward, complete sentences first, checking subject–verb agreement and verb forms, then add complex clauses where they express a clear relationship.

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.