Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course. The table shows the salaries of the anthropologists in work after five years.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparison where relevant.

Student answer (Band 4.0)

in this paragraph we are shown some data of university graduates who later landed jobs in different departments and what are there salaries after 5 years of work experience. Its a whole research based chart where we can see different things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response makes a brief attempt to introduce the visuals, referring to graduates’ jobs and salaries after five years, so it identifies the general subject. However, it does not summarise any of the chart’s destinations or report the salary comparisons in the table, and it gives no overview of the main patterns. The phrase “different departments” is also not supported by the visual, which groups outcomes and employment sectors. At 41 words, the response is substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the task largely unaddressed. To improve, provide an overview—for example, that full-time work was the most common destination—and select key figures and contrasts from both visuals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response is presented as one short paragraph, and its ideas follow a basic sequence: it introduces the data, mentions employment, then refers to salaries. This gives the reader a simple starting point. However, there is no clear progression into a summary of the chart and table, and the final sentence, “Its a whole research based chart where we can see different things,” adds no specific information or link to a main feature. Because the response is so brief, it does not demonstrate paragraphing or a range of cohesive devices. Organise the answer into an introduction, an overview, and detail paragraphs, using clear links such as “By contrast” to connect relevant comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The writer uses some relevant vocabulary, including “graduates,” “jobs,” “salaries,” and “5 years of work experience,” so the general topic is understandable. There is also an attempt to describe the visuals as “data” and a “chart.” However, the vocabulary is too general to report the information accurately: “different departments” does not match the categories shown, and “different things” conveys no meaningful detail. Some phrasing is also imprecise or unnatural, such as “landed jobs” and “research based chart.” Use the chart’s terms, including “full-time work,” “unemployed,” and “government sector,” and choose precise reporting language such as “employment outcomes” and “salary bands.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response contains a few basic sentence forms, and the main message—that the visuals concern graduates’ employment and later salaries—can be understood. However, the range is narrow, with no complex structures used to compare or report data. There are also errors in basic control: “what are there salaries” should be “what their salaries are,” and “Its a whole research based chart” needs “It’s” if the intended meaning is “it is.” The opening “in this paragraph we are shown” is an awkward passive construction, while the sentence beginning “Its” does not develop a clear grammatical idea. Practise accurate reporting clauses and comparison structures, such as “The chart shows that…” and “A higher proportion of…”.

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