Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-24

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 show information about the number of households in the US by their annual income in the year 2007, 2011 and 2015.The chart illustrate 5 different categary of annual income of US households.Categories are less than $25000, between $25000 to $49999,between $50000 to $74999, between $75000 to $99999 and at last between $[redacted phone] or more.In 2007 number of households whose annual income is $[redacted phone] or more are highest and annual income between $75000 to $99999 is lowest.In 2011, annual income between $25000 to $49999 are highest number of households and lowest is between $75000 to $99999 same as in the year 2007.In 2015 again number of households whose annual income is $[redacted phone] or more is highest and between $75000 to $99999 is lowest.Now lets see number of households in all categories, In 2007, number of households whose annual income is less than $25000 are 25 millions, then between $25000 to $49999 are nearly 27 millions, between $50000 to $74999 are nearly 21 millions, between $75000 to $99999 are nearly 14.5 millions and $[redacted phone] or more are nearly 29.5 millions. In 2011 category first are around 29 millions, second are around 29.9 millions, third are around 21 millions, fourth are around 14 millions, fifth are around 27.5 millions. In 2015 category first are around 27.5 millions, second are around 28 millions, third are around 21 millions, fourth are around 14.9 millions and fifth are around 33 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the five income groups and make relevant comparisons, including that the $100,000-or-more group is largest in 2007 and 2015 and that the $75,000–$99,999 group is smallest throughout. However, the response has no clear overall summary of the main trends, and much of it lists figures year by year rather than selecting the most significant changes. Some figures are also inaccurate: for example, the 2011 second category is about 29.5 million, not 29.9 million, while the 2015 first and second categories are about 28 and 28.5 million respectively, rather than 27.5 and 28. The chart shows the highest-income group rising markedly by 2015, a key feature worth highlighting. (12 words copied from the task prompt were not counted.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response contains relevant information and generally follows a chronological order, moving from 2007 to 2011 and then 2015. This gives the reader some structure, and phrases such as “In 2011” and “In 2015” signal changes in time. However, there is no paragraphing to distinguish an introduction, overview and detailed comparisons, and the repeated pattern “number of households… are” makes the progression feel like a list. The opening also spends several sentences naming all five categories before presenting the data. Grouping related trends across years—for example, the stable middle-income group and the rise in the highest-income group—would create a clearer overall progression. Use linking expressions selectively rather than relying mainly on repeated year markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the chart’s subject, including “annual income,” “categories,” and “households,” and the income ranges are mostly identified clearly. However, the range is limited and several expressions are repetitive or imprecise, such as “number of households… are highest” and “Now lets see number of households.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “categary” and “illustrate” where “illustrates” is needed; these reduce the accuracy and polish of the description. More precise chart language such as “accounted for,” “remained stable,” and “rose to” would help you describe comparisons and trends without repeating the same sentence pattern. Check spelling and use standard formatting for dollar amounts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the basic meaning, but grammatical control is inconsistent, with frequent errors in agreement, sentence boundaries and punctuation. For example, “The bar chart show” should be “The bar chart shows,” and “number of households… are highest” needs a singular construction such as “the number… was highest.” Several sentences run together without spaces after full stops, and the long opening section is difficult to follow because it joins multiple ideas with limited punctuation. The response relies mainly on simple statements and repeated “In [year]” structures, with little accurate variety in complex sentences. Practise forming clear comparisons with controlled clauses, and check subject–verb agreement and sentence endings before submitting.

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