Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The bar chart shows the information of households in the USA from different three years. In the year of 2007, 2011 and 2015 in USA their annual income in the bar chart.The bar graph illustrates the information of household in USA country and its main features.

The bar chart illustrates in 2007 the number of household and their annual income in 2007 was least down then others was $14000. In 2007 the annual income of households was heigher then its original income was reach about $29000 the annual income. In 2011 the final income of households was less than $25000 but annual income rised and reached about $28000 futhermore, the income $25000-$49999 the annual income was reached number of households 30. In 2011 the income $[redacted phone] or more was least down than others was about 14. At the last year in 2015 number of households rised it annual income $[redacted phone] or more after it, the reached highky than all past years was about 33.

In the conclusion, the number of households in USA by annual income in 2007, and 2011, are stable to eachother but in 2015 the annual income highly increased than other years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s general subject and mention several relevant income groups, including households earning under $25,000 and those earning $100,000 or more. However, the account only minimally reports the data, and several figures or comparisons are misread: $14,000 is not the lowest income category in 2007, and the roughly 14–15 million figure belongs to the $75,000–$99,999 group, not the highest-income group. The overview that the figures were “stable” in 2007 and 2011 is too broad: the highest-income group fell before rising sharply, while other categories changed differently. Select the main trends accurately, compare the five groups, and distinguish income thresholds from numbers of households.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to organise the response into an introduction, a body paragraph and a conclusion, and time markers such as “In 2011” and “At the last year in 2015” give the reader some sense of sequence. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the body moves between years and income categories without a clear comparison structure. Repeated introductions (“The bar chart shows…” and “The bar graph illustrates…”) use space without advancing the report, while links such as “furthermore” and “after it” do not clearly connect the ideas. Group the data logically—for example, compare the highest-income category with the lower groups—and use clear references to the number of households rather than repeatedly saying “income.”

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “households,” “annual income,” “increased” and “reached,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is basic and repetitive, and inaccurate word choice often makes the data hard to interpret. Phrases such as “least down,” “heigher then its original income,” and “reached highky” are not suitable descriptions of chart trends; “income” is also repeatedly used where the number of households in an income band is meant. Spelling errors such as “heigher” and “highky” further reduce clarity. Build a small set of precise chart terms—“rose,” “fell,” “remained stable,” “category” and “approximately”—and use them to describe household counts accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to form longer sentences and use time references, but grammatical control is weak and errors frequently make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “In the year of 2007, 2011 and 2015 in USA their annual income…” lacks a clear sentence structure, while “the number of households rised it annual income” has problems with verb form and sentence construction. Articles, plurals and agreement are also inconsistent, as in “the number of household” and “in USA.” Punctuation is missing or misplaced in places, causing run-on sentences. Practise writing short, complete sentences with one clear comparison each, then add accurate past-tense verbs and check subject–verb agreement, articles and punctuation.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.