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 compares household's number in millions in the US with their earning per year in 2007,2011 and 2015.

Overall, similar pattern was observed in 2007 and 2015, however in 2011 had slightly different trend.

Households with the anuual income of $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999 had almost same figure of approximately 20M and 15M over the given period. However, value slightly fluctuated for $25000-$49,999 and >$25,000 incomed households between 25M to 30M and 25M to 28M repectively. Conversely, households with income $100,000 or more peaked in 2015 from around 28M to just over the 34M.

Ratio of households with annual earning $100,000 or more saw highest figure, following by

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify several relevant categories and report the broad pattern that the $100,000-or-more group rose to its highest level in 2015. However, the response only partially summarises the chart: the overview that 2007 and 2015 had a “similar pattern” is not clearly supported, and the final sentence is unfinished. Some figures and labels are also inaccurate or unclear: the $50,000–$74,999 group stayed at about 21 million, not 20 million, while the $75,000–$99,999 group was around 14–15 million. The description of the lower-income groups is difficult to match to the chart. The response is also 42 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail and comparisons provided. Include a complete overview and accurately compare the main changes across all five groups.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and a body paragraph, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However” and “Conversely” show an attempt to connect ideas. Nevertheless, progression is limited: the body moves between income groups without a clear organising principle, and the final line, “following by,” stops before completing the comparison. Some references are hard to follow, particularly “value” and “respectively,” because the income groups and figures are not consistently matched. To improve, group the categories by their trends—for example, those that remained stable, those that fluctuated, and the highest-income group—and complete each comparison before moving on. This would make the information easier to follow and reduce reliance on abrupt transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “fluctuated,” “peaked” and “annual income,” and the reader can generally recognise that the response concerns household numbers by income. However, several word choices and forms are inaccurate or awkward, such as “household’s number,” “earning per year,” “incomed households” and “Ratio of households.” Spelling errors, including “anuual” and “repectively,” also reduce precision. The symbols “>$25,000” and “$25000-$49,999” are unclear or inconsistent with the chart’s categories. Aim for accurate, consistent labels such as “households earning less than $25,000” and “the number of households.” A broader set of precise comparison phrases would also help you describe rises, falls and stable figures clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “however” and a sentence beginning “Conversely.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence structure and grammatical forms are noticeable. For example, “Overall, similar pattern was observed” needs an article, and “however in 2011 had slightly different trend” lacks a clear subject and also needs an article. In “Households with the annual income … had almost same figure,” the article and the relationship between the households and the figures are not expressed accurately. The final sentence is incomplete, so it cannot communicate a full comparison. Practise complete subject–verb structures and check articles, agreement and sentence boundaries, while retaining the range of sentence forms you are attempting.

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