Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The prsented bar graph depicts the househlods numbers according to their yearly income in three different years including 2007. 2011 and 2015 in a country named Uniter States

overall, it can be seen that people with income 75,000 to 99,999 dollars were less in number across years then all others categories, while other remains relativiely stable.

To begin with, it can be observed that by 2007 the numbers of people lying in group of less then 25,000 dollars were 25 million. However, this figure rose to approximately 28 in 2011 before it declined to about 27 in 2015. Moreover the categorey which comes under the figure of 25,000 to 49,000 dollars accounted almost 26 million in 2007, 30 million in 2011 and almost 39 million in 2015. Additionally, the numbers of people whose income rang from 50,000 to 74,000 dollars were slight above 20 million in 2007, however, its number remain constant

over the years

Secondly, the ratio for 100,000 dollars or more was to about 30 million in 2007 with a slight decrease in 2011 counting about 27 million. Following this, the figures increased steadily and recorded almost 38 million people for this group in 2015. Eventually, the group whic was comes in rang of 50,000 to 74,000 recorded

approximatley 15 million in 2011 and 2015 with slight decrease in 2011

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include an overview, noting that the $75,000–$99,999 group is the smallest and that several categories are fairly stable. However, the overview misses the most notable feature: households earning $100,000 or more rise to the highest figure in 2015. Several figures are also substantially inaccurate: the $25,000–$49,999 group is about 28.5 million in 2015, not 39 million, and the $100,000-plus group is about 33.5 million, not 38 million. The final paragraph also confuses the $50,000–$74,999 and $75,000–$99,999 groups. These omissions and misreadings leave the report only partially accurate. Prioritise the main trends and check each figure against its income band before describing it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to organise the response into an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, and phrases such as “To begin with” and “Secondly” signal a sequence. However, the progression is difficult to follow because categories are repeated or mixed: the $50,000–$74,000 group is described in the first detail paragraph and then appears again in the final sentence, where the figures seem to refer to the $75,000–$99,999 group. Some linking words, including “Eventually” and “Following this,” do not clarify the relationship between the data. Improve cohesion by grouping related income bands consistently, using one sentence per band or a clear comparison, and checking that references such as “this figure” point unambiguously to the correct data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “accounted,” “declined,” “increased steadily” and “remain constant,” so the reader can recognise that you are describing changes in figures. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “people lying in group,” “the ratio for” and “recorded … people” when the chart counts households. Spelling errors—including “prsented,” “househlods,” “relativiely” and “approximatley”—are noticeable and reduce the clarity and polish of the report. Use precise terms such as “households,” “number” and “income bracket,” and practise spelling these recurring task words. More accurate phrasing would make your comparisons easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, using structures such as “However, this figure rose … before it declined” and “while other remains relatively stable.” These attempts show some range, but errors occur frequently in sentence construction and agreement. For example, “other remains” needs a plural subject and verb, while “its number remain constant” has a mismatch between the singular subject and verb form. The opening sentence also lacks clear punctuation between the years, and the final sentence is difficult to parse because its clauses and time references are not clearly structured. Build accuracy with shorter, complete sentences first, then add subordinate clauses. Check subject–verb agreement, articles and punctuation when editing.

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