Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-16

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 graph depicts information about numbers ofhouseholds measured in millions in US by their respective income per year in [redacted phone] and 2015.Overall,in US most of the households have annual income of [redacted phone]$ or more regardless of the year.The smallest group include households with income ranging between 75000$ to 99000$.

In year 2007 20 million households have annual income of [redacted phone]$ or more.This trend declined in 2007 in which almost 27 million households have this much annual income.By year 2015 this group reached to it's maximun height reaching 33 milllion households.25 million households had annual income of 25000$ to 49000$.By year 2011 30 milion households have this income and in year 2015 this number reached to 27 million.

Housenholds with annual income OF 75000$ TO 99000$ were 20 million in number and on reaching year 2015 it remained same.

Lastly, households with annual income of 50000$ to 74000$ covered 21 million housholds in 2007 and this number remained same through year 2011 to 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give an overview, noting that the highest-income group is generally large and that the $75,000–$99,999 group is small. However, several key figures and trends are misreported, which substantially weakens the account. For example, the $100,000-or-more group was about 29.5 million in 2007, not 20 million, and it fell to roughly 27.5 million in 2011 before rising to 33.5 million in 2015. The $75,000–$99,999 group was around 14–15 million, not 20 million. The overview also incorrectly calls the highest-income group the largest regardless of year. Select the main comparisons accurately and check each figure against the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs describing income groups. Time markers such as “In year 2007,” “By year 2011,” and “Lastly” help signal movement through the information. However, progression is not consistently clear because the account jumps between categories and sometimes repeats a year or trend, as in “This trend declined in 2007” after describing 2007. The final paragraph introduces the $50,000–$74,000 group without a clear link to the preceding comparison. Grouping categories by similar trends, then using consistent comparisons across all three years, would make the organisation easier to follow. Check that each pronoun or phrase such as “this number” clearly refers to the intended figure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “depicts,” “declined,” “reached,” and “remained same,” and you make an effort to describe quantities and changes. However, some expressions are imprecise or awkward for a data report: “this much annual income,” “maximun height,” and “covered 21 million households” do not describe the figures naturally. There are also noticeable spelling and form errors, including “housenholds,” “milion,” and “maximun,” which reduce accuracy. Use standard income-band labels and precise reporting phrases such as “the number of households,” “stood at,” and “rose to.” This would make the vocabulary more controlled and suitable for formal chart description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the general subject using mostly simple sentence patterns, and some sentences connect time and change, for example, “By year 2015 this group reached…” However, grammatical control is inconsistent. Tense shifts occur within the report: “had” is followed by “have,” and the chart’s past data should generally be described in the past tense. There are also errors in articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, such as “The smallest group include households” and the run-together transition “2015.Overall.” Several sentences lack commas after introductory time phrases, while capitalisation is inconsistent. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build a wider range of correctly punctuated comparison sentences; these changes would improve clarity without requiring more complicated structures.

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