Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-17
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 bar chart shows the number of households in the US by their yearly income in three years- 2007, 2011, and 2015. Income is divided into five groups.
Overall, most hoouseholds earned less than $50,000 or more than $100,000. The number of rich households increased in 2015, while middle-income households decreased.
In 2007, about 25 million households earnedless than $25000 and about 26 million earned $25,000 to $49,000. About 28 million households earned $10,000 or more. That was the highest group.
In 2011, the number of low-income households increased. about 27 million earned less than $25000 and 28 million earned$25000 to $49,999.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response identifies the chart’s subject and gives an overview, noting that the largest groups were at the lower and highest income levels and that the $100,000-plus group rose by 2015. However, it reports only part of the data and stops after 2011, omitting the 2015 figures and several important comparisons. Some figures are inaccurate: the $25,000–$49,999 group was about 27 million in 2007, not 26 million, and the highest-income group was about 29.5 million, not 28 million; “$10,000 or more” also misstates the category, which is $100,000 or more. The response is 92 words, below the 150-word minimum. Include a complete overview and compare all three years using accurate category labels and figures.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing 2007 and 2011. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, there is no concluding coverage of 2015, so the progression through the years is incomplete, and the short body paragraphs do not develop comparisons between income groups. Linking is limited, with “Overall” and repeated “In 2007/In 2011” doing most of the work. The abrupt ending also leaves the report feeling unfinished. To improve, organise the body around clear comparisons—for example, lower-income groups versus the highest-income group—and use linking phrases to show changes across the full period.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the chart’s subject and basic trends, using phrases such as “number of households,” “income,” “increased,” and “middle-income households.” However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or imprecise. “Rich households” is informal for this report, while “$10,000 or more” gives the wrong income threshold and could mislead the reader. The category labels should be reproduced precisely, including “$100,000 or more” and “$25,000–$49,999.” There are also spelling and spacing slips, such as “hoouseholds” and “earnedless,” which reduce clarity. Use more precise reporting language and check spelling and number formatting before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
Most sentences use straightforward structures, and the basic meaning is generally understandable. There is some control of simple clauses, as in “The number of rich households increased in 2015,” but the response shows little variety in sentence patterns or complex comparisons. Errors in sentence boundaries and capitalisation occur in “In 2011, the number of low-income households increased. about 27 million…,” where the second sentence begins with a lowercase letter and the relationship between the ideas is unclear. The hyphenated year phrase “three years- 2007…” also needs more accurate punctuation. Aim to combine related figures in well-formed comparative sentences, and check sentence starts, punctuation, and grammatical links between clauses.
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