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 chart illustrates different number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007,2011 and 2015.Overall in 2015, almost 33 highest figure of US household approximately $100,00 by annual income However in 2007, 15 million of households lowest proportion approximately $75,000 to $99,99 by annual income.In 2007, 25 million of household approximately less than $25,000 million by annual income, increase 26million of household approximately $25,000 to $49,999 million by annual income, almost 29 million of household are $100,000 or more by annual income. In 2011, approximately 28 million household people less than $25,000 million by annual income,30 million of household $25,000 to $49,000 by annual income.20million household approximately $50,000 to $74,999 by annual income.In 2011 the highest figure 30 million household $25,000 to $49,999 by annual income.In 2015 approximately 33 million household people approximately $100,000 or more annual income ,by lowest 15 million household almost $100,000 or more by annual income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the chart’s subject and mention several relevant figures, including the high point of about 33 million households earning $100,000 or more in 2015 and the low figure for the $75,000–$99,999 group in 2007. However, the overview is unclear, and several comparisons are inaccurate or contradictory: the 2015 lowest figure is assigned to the $100,000-or-more group, although it is about 15 million for $75,000–$99,999; the $50,000–$74,999 group is about 21 million, not 20 million in 2011. The response also falls 10 words short of the 150-word minimum. To make the report more complete, give a clear overview and check each figure against its income category before describing trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response follows a basic chronological order, moving from 2007 to 2011 and then 2015, and uses time markers such as “In 2011” to signal changes in period. However, ideas are not arranged into clear paragraphs, and the overview is mixed with individual data points rather than presented separately. Repetition also weakens progression: the 2011 highest figure is stated after it has already been reported, while the final comparison is confusing and contradicts the earlier description. Use a short introduction, a distinct overview, and then grouped comparisons of the income bands. Linking phrases should clarify relationships between figures, rather than simply repeat the year.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “highest figure,” “lowest proportion,” “increase,” and “approximately,” and the income categories are generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word combinations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “different number of households,” “household people,” and “by annual income.” Repeated use of “approximately” also makes the report less fluent. Choose standard expressions for describing chart data, and use “households” consistently when referring to the units. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish a category’s size from a change over time and make the comparisons easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to report data in several sentence forms, but sentence boundaries and grammatical relationships are often unclear. For example, “Overall in 2015, almost 33 highest figure…” lacks a clear sentence structure, and the long sequence beginning “In 2007, 25 million…” joins several figures without consistently marking their relationships. There are also recurring problems with articles, plurals, and agreement, as in “25 million of household” and “30 million household.” Punctuation is inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and full stops. Build shorter, complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check plural forms and punctuation before adding more complex comparisons.

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