Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-03

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 compares the final income of United States from households in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the numbers of households fluctuate over the period of the time while the 15 and 21 million individuals of US annual income of households reamain almost same in all years

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response makes a limited attempt to describe the chart, but it does not provide the required summary of the main features. The overview says household numbers “fluctuate,” yet does not identify the clearest pattern: the $100,000-or-more group rose markedly by 2015 and became the largest, while the $50,000–$74,999 group stayed at about 21 million. The reference to “15 and 21 million” is unclear and does not accurately explain which income bands these figures represent; 15 million is approximately the 2015 figure for the $75,000–$99,999 group, not a stable value across all years. The response is also far below the 150-word minimum, leaving no meaningful comparisons or supporting details. Include a clear overview and several accurate figures for the key trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt at organisation: an opening sentence is followed by a separate overview beginning “Overall.” This gives the response a recognisable start and a simple progression. However, the second sentence combines several ideas without making their relationship clear, particularly “the 15 and 21 million individuals of US annual income of households.” There are no body paragraphs or sequenced details comparing the income groups, so the reader cannot follow a developed account of the chart. The response also lacks linking language for contrasts or changes over time. Build a clear structure with an introduction, an overview, and one or two paragraphs grouping the main comparisons; use links such as “by contrast” and “while” to show how the figures relate.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “bar chart,” “households,” “income,” and “fluctuate,” so the general subject is identifiable. However, the vocabulary is too limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “final income” does not describe the chart, which shows household numbers across income bands, and “individuals” is not the correct unit because the data count households. “Remain” is also misspelled as “reamain.” These choices make the description less precise. Use the chart’s categories and units directly, such as “annual income bands” and “millions of households,” and select verbs that match the data, for example “rose,” “fell,” or “remained stable.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a simple opening sentence and an overview, but the grammatical range is very narrow and the longer sentence is difficult to interpret. In “the numbers of households fluctuate over the period of the time,” the time reference is awkwardly formed, and the sentence then continues into “while the 15 and 21 million individuals…” without a clear grammatical connection. The phrase “the 15 and 21 million” also lacks a clear noun or category to explain what the figures refer to. There is some control of basic sentence forms, but the response does not demonstrate varied structures or consistently clear relationships between clauses. Practise writing complete comparison sentences, ensuring each figure has a clear subject and that clauses joined by “while” express a direct contrast.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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