Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The given bar chart illustrates the annual income of the number of households in the US in year 2007, 2011 and 2015. X-axis represents the year, whereas Y-axis depics the number of households (millions).

To begin with the year 2007 there was a highest ratio of $100,000 or more that is 29 millions of households and the least was od $75,000-$99,999 which was 15 million additionally there was a 6 million of increase with the $50,000-$74,999 that is 21 million and again there was a increment of 6 million at $25,000-$49,999 that is 27 million.

Moreover, in the year 2011 there was a highest ratio of $100,000 or more than compare to another years that is 30 millions of households and the least was od $75,000-$99,999 among the three years which was 13 million additionally there was a 8 million of increase with the $50,000-$74,999 that is 22 million and again there was a huge increment of 8 million at $25,000-$49,999 that is 30 million.

Lastly, in the yaer 2015 there was a highest ratio of $100,000 or more that is 30 millions of households and the least was od $75,000-$99,999 which was 13 million additionally there was a 8 million of increase with the $50,000-$74,999 that is 22 million and again there was a huge increment of 8 million at $25,000-$49,999 that is 30 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the chart’s subject and compares the three years, but its account of the data is substantially inaccurate, which limits how fully it reports the main features. For example, it says the $100,000-or-more group was highest in 2007 and 2011, whereas the $25,000–$49,999 group was slightly higher in 2011; in 2015, the highest-income group rose to about 33.5 million, not 30 million. It also repeatedly gives the $75,000–$99,999 figure as 13 million, although it is around 14–15 million, and describes increases between income bands as if they were changes over time. Include a clear overview of the key trends, then report accurate comparisons across years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic, recognisable structure: an introduction followed by separate paragraphs for 2007, 2011 and 2015. Time markers such as “To begin with,” “Moreover” and “Lastly” help signal the sequence. However, there is little overall progression beyond repeating the same pattern for each year, and the repeated “additionally” and “again” make the account mechanical. The comparisons between income categories are also difficult to follow because the relationship between the figures is not clearly explained. Grouping categories with similar trends, and adding a concise overview before the details, would create a clearer line of development. Use linking expressions to show meaningful comparisons rather than simply to start another point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses enough chart-related vocabulary to communicate its general subject, including “bar chart,” “number of households,” “highest” and “least.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing statistical data. “Highest ratio” is not appropriate when referring to the largest number of households, while “a huge increment” and “a 6 million of increase” are awkward collocations. There are also spelling errors, including “depics,” “yaer” and “od,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “figure,” “category,” “rose,” “fell” and “remained stable,” and use them to describe changes over time rather than differences between income bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts longer sentences using connectors such as “whereas,” “additionally” and “which,” but these structures are often faulty, and sentence patterns are repetitive. For instance, “there was a highest ratio … that is 29 millions” has problems with article use, tense and number agreement; “among the three years which was 13 million” also has an unclear grammatical connection. The opening sentence, “X-axis represents the year,” omits an article, and several sentences run on without clear punctuation. These errors sometimes make the comparisons difficult to interpret. Build more controlled sentences, check singular and plural forms, and use past-tense verbs consistently when reporting the figures.

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

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