Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-05

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 illustrstes the portion of households in the united state by their yearly income in 2007,2011,2015.

overall, the number of households income grow up in 2015, then decrease in 2011.

2007 and 2015 ratio is approximatly similar.

So, the number of us households 2007 in less than 25000$ from 25millions.and 25000$ to 49000$ from about 27.then 2007 in 21 million and 29 million.

2011 and 2015 in mainly 30 an 34 millions people leaves in us. then

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the chart’s subject and attempts to report figures for the income groups, including approximately 25 million households below $25,000 and 27 million in the $25,000–$49,999 group in 2007. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: the figures do not show household numbers generally growing in 2015 and then decreasing in 2011; 2011 comes before 2015, and trends differ by income band. The later figures are also not clearly assigned to categories or years, and several important comparisons are omitted. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the task only minimally covered. To improve, give a clear overview of the main contrasts and describe the five income bands with accurate, labelled comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and an overview before moving to figures. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the data are not grouped clearly by year or income category. For example, “then 2007 in 21 million and 29 million” does not explain which bands these figures refer to, while “2011 and 2015 in mainly 30 an 34 millions” combines two years without a clear comparison. The final phrase, “then,” leaves the response unfinished. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and details, and organise the details consistently—for example, compare each year or group related income bands. Clear links such as “By contrast” and “Meanwhile” would help show relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some relevant chart vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “households,” “yearly income,” and “millions,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, which makes parts of the report hard to interpret. “Portion of households” is not the right expression for counts, and “ratio” does not describe the comparison between years here. The phrase “people leaves in us” is also unsuitable for describing household figures. Spelling and presentation errors, such as “illustrstes,” “approximatly,” and “united state,” further weaken control. Build a small set of accurate chart terms—such as “number,” “figure,” “income bracket,” “rose,” and “remained stable”—and use them precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts simple statements and an overview, but sentence structures are mostly incomplete or difficult to interpret. For instance, “So, the number of us households 2007 in less than 25000$ from 25millions” lacks a clear verb and has an unclear grammatical relationship between the year, category, and figure. “Overall, the number of households income grow up in 2015” also has problems with sentence structure and verb form. The final sentence fragment, “then,” leaves the writing unfinished. Punctuation and spacing around years and figures are inconsistent as well. Practise complete subject–verb sentences, such as “In 2007, there were about 25 million households earning less than $25,000,” and use past-tense verbs consistently when reporting the chart.

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