Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-21

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)

In the given paragraph, we are given the number of households in millions and their annual incomes. The graph shows that in 2007, 25 million households income were less than 25000. Around 27 millions household had an annual income between 25000 and 49999 in 2007. Less than 15 millions household had an annual income of 75000 to 99999 in 2007. More than 20 millions households had an annual income between 50000 and 74999 in 2007. Approximately 30 millions of them have had an annual income of more than [redacted phone].

The following households had an annual income in 2011 is given below: More than 29 millions of them were having less than 25000. 30 millions of them had between 25000 and 49999 and more than 20 were between 50000 and 74999. About 28 millions of them were having an annual income of more than [redacted phone] in 2011.

In 2015, 28 millions households had less than 25000, 29 millions had between 25000 and 49999, 21 millions had between 50000 and 74999. Around 33 millions households had an annual income more than [redacted phone].

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies several relevant figures across all three years, including the roughly 25 million households below $25,000 in 2007 and the rise to about 33 million in the highest-income group by 2015. However, it mainly lists figures year by year and gives no clear overview of the chart’s main patterns. Some details are inaccurate or missing: the 2011 figure for under $25,000 is about 28.5 million, not more than 29 million, and the 2015 figure for $25,000–$49,999 is about 28.5 million, not 29 million. The $75,000–$99,999 group is omitted for 2011 and 2015. To address the task more fully, summarise the key trends and compare categories, rather than reporting isolated values.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic chronological structure, moving from 2007 to 2011 and then 2015, and phrases such as “In 2015” help signal the shift between periods. This gives the reader some organisation. However, the progression is largely a sequence of separate figures, with little grouping or comparison across years. The repeated openings “The graph shows” and “More than…” also make the account feel list-like, while the opening sentence does not introduce a useful overview. Organise the information into a brief overview followed by paragraphs that compare related income bands or highlight changes over time. This would create clearer progression and make the relationships between the figures easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the income groups and report approximate quantities, using phrases such as “between 25000 and 49999” and “Approximately 30 millions.” However, the range is limited and repetitive: “had,” “annual income,” and “millions” recur throughout, and the response relies on basic quantity phrases such as “more than” and “around.” Some word choices and forms are inaccurate or awkward, including “households income” and “30 millions household,” which reduce naturalness. Use standard income-band formatting and more precise reporting language, such as “earned,” “accounted for,” “approximately,” and “rose to,” while varying sentence phrasing. Check that figures are written consistently, especially “$100,000,” rather than “1000000.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates the broad subject and uses some complete simple sentences, but its grammatical range is limited and errors recur. For example, “25 million households income were less than 25000” has incorrect word order and agreement; “30 millions household had” also has a number-agreement error. The phrase “The following households had an annual income in 2011 is given below” combines incompatible verb structures, and “have had” is an unsuitable tense for describing the chart. Most sentences follow a similar basic pattern, so there is little evidence of controlled complex structures. Practise accurate comparative sentences and consistent past-tense reporting, for example: “The number of households earning under $25,000 rose from 25 million in 2007 to about 28.5 million in 2011.”

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