Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-25

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 8.5)

The bar chart compares the number of households in the US across five annual income groups in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the $100,000 or more income group recorded the highest number of households, whereas the $75,000–$99,999 category had the lowest figures. Furthermore, while the highest-income households increased noticeably by 2015, most middle-income groups remained relatively stable.

Looking first at households earning less than $25,000, the figure stood at about 25 million in 2007 before rising to around 29 million in 2011 and then falling slightly to approximately 28 million in 2015.This was followed by the $25,000–$49,999 income group, which increased from approximately 27 million households in 2007 to 30 million in 2011 before declining marginally to around 29 million in 2015.By comparison, the $50,000–$74,999 category remained almost unchanged at around 21 million households throughout the period.

Turning to the $75,000–$99,999 income group, the number of households was the lowest throughout the period, falling slightly from about 14 million in 2007 to 13 million in 2011 before recovering to around 15 million in 2015.In contrast, households earning $100,000 or more accounted for approximately 29 million in 2007 and 28 million in 2011 before increasing significantly to around 33 million in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have clearly identified the main features, such as the trends in the highest and lowest income groups, and provided a logical overview. The data is accurately reported, and comparisons are made throughout the text, such as noting that the $50,000–$74,999 category remained 'almost unchanged' while others fluctuated. The information is well-selected and supports the summary effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most significant trends even more sharply, perhaps by explicitly contrasting the growth in the highest income bracket against the relative stagnation of the middle-income groups.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from the introduction and overview to specific details about the income groups. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Looking first at', 'By comparison', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow between sentences is smooth. The use of referencing is clear, and there is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive phrasing. The structure is coherent and supports the overall summary well.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information accurately. Phrases like 'recorded the highest number', 'remained relatively stable', 'declining marginally', and 'recovering to' demonstrate a good command of descriptive language suitable for an Academic Task 1 report. The vocabulary is precise and fits the context of describing statistical data. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. To move toward a higher band, you could incorporate a slightly wider variety of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' to add more stylistic flair, though the current range is already quite effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The response displays a good variety of complex structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses ('while the highest-income households increased...') and participial phrases. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is used correctly to manage the flow of information. There are no major grammatical errors that impede communication. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the report. The writing is fluent and demonstrates a high level of grammatical accuracy, which is appropriate for this level of task.

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