Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-04

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 graph illustrates the number of households in the us by their final year income between 2007,2011 and 2015.

Overall, it is clear that the highest income in US $ [redacted phone] or more in 2015, which is shown on the figure, while the lowest income had in 2011.

In 2007, about less then $25,000 income is represet in percentage and about $25000-$49999 profit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and attempts an overview, noting that the $100,000-or-more group is highest in 2015. However, the overview is inaccurate when it says the lowest income “had in 2011”: the lowest household count in 2011 was for the $75,000–$99,999 group, while the $50,000–$74,999 group was lowest in 2007 and 2015. The body stops after an incomplete comparison and gives no reliable account of the main trends across the five income bands. It also describes income as a percentage or “profit,” rather than reporting household numbers in millions. The response is only 55 words, below the required 150, so it cannot adequately summarise the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview and then a body paragraph beginning “In 2007.” This gives the reader a recognisable starting structure. However, the progression is not sustained because the final paragraph ends mid-thought, and there are no developed comparisons linking the years or income groups. The overview’s claim about the lowest category is also unclear, making the relationship between the ideas difficult to follow. To improve, complete each paragraph, group related figures into a clear comparison, and use simple links such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” only where they accurately show the relationship.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a few relevant terms, including “bar graph,” “households,” “income,” and “highest,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, vocabulary is very limited and several choices are inaccurate for this chart: “final year income” is unclear, “income … is shown on the figure” is awkward, and “profit” does not describe household income. Spelling errors such as “represet” and “less then” also reduce precision. Use the chart’s own categories and measurement language consistently, for example “annual income,” “households,” and “million.” A wider set of accurate comparison terms would help report changes and similarities without relying on vague wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a few sentence forms, including an introductory statement and an overview beginning “Overall, it is clear that…”. However, control is uneven, and the overview is not formed as a complete, clear sentence: “the highest income in US $ 100000 or more in 2015” lacks a suitable verb and grammatical structure. The phrase “the lowest income had in 2011” is also incomplete, while the final sentence fragment beginning “In 2007” does not finish its comparison. Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, including the comma-separated years in the introduction. Practise complete subject–verb sentences, such as “The $100,000-or-more group had the most households in 2015,” and check that every sentence expresses a finished idea.

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