Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-20

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 4.0)

The bar chart illustrates the number of housing in the US with their annnual inocme in five categories in three different years which are 2007, 2011, 2015.

Overall, the highest income showed in 2015 and in the other years its actually fluctuated.The income level was moderate thoughout other years.

In the year of 2007, the income of housholds was

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and years, and it attempts an overview by noting that the highest income category peaks in 2015. However, the overview is unclear: “the income level was moderate” does not describe the household figures, and the claim that the highest income “fluctuated” is not supported with a clear comparison. The report stops after “In the year of 2007,” so it gives no usable figures or comparisons across the five income bands. The task requires at least 150 words, but this response contains only 59, leaving the chart almost entirely undescribed. To improve, complete the report with accurate key figures and trends, including the stable middle-income group and the rise in households earning $100,000 or more by 2015.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by a separate overview paragraph, then a paragraph intended to describe 2007. This gives the reader a recognisable starting structure. However, the progression breaks down because the final paragraph ends mid-sentence (“the income of housholds was”), and no details follow. The overview also does not connect clearly to the chart’s categories, while “in the other years” has an unclear reference. Use complete paragraphs to group the main trends, and connect comparisons explicitly—for example, contrast the 2011 and 2015 figures for the highest-income group. Completing the unfinished section would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a few relevant terms, including “bar chart,” “categories,” and “fluctuated,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, vocabulary is limited and several choices are inaccurate or imprecise: “number of housing” should refer to “number of households,” and “the highest income showed” does not clearly express the number of households in that income band. “Income level was moderate” is also too vague to describe the data. Spelling errors such as “annnual,” “inocme,” and “housholds” further reduce accuracy. Build a small set of precise chart-reporting expressions, such as “households earning,” “stood at,” “remained stable,” and “rose to,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response contains some simple sentence forms, including “The bar chart illustrates…” and “In the year of 2007…,” but the range is narrow and the final sentence is incomplete. There are errors in sentence construction and agreement: “the highest income showed in 2015” lacks a clear grammatical subject for the figure, while “in the other years its actually fluctuated” has unclear reference and needs punctuation around “actually.” The opening sentence also has an awkward structure when describing the households and years. Try complete, controlled comparisons such as “The number of households earning $100,000 or more rose from about 29.5 million in 2007 to 33.5 million in 2015.” Proofread for complete clauses, clear pronouns, and sentence-ending punctuation.

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.