Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-26

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 7.0)

The given column chart classifies the American households based on their annual income for the year 2007, 2011, and 2015. At a glance it can be seen that, the households having income between $25,000-$49,999, increased as the years passed by.

In 2007, there were nearly 30 million households having income of $100,000 or more; on the other hand, in 2011 the same households decreased minimally by 1 million. During 2015, the high income households crossed 30 million threshold to nearly reach 35 million. The number of people having $50,000-$74,999 annual income, remained the same for the 3 years, just above 20 million. The individuals having $75,000-$99,999 as annual salary, fluctuated a little about 14.8-15 millions during 2007, 2011,and 2015 respectively. The people having salary less than $25,000 were 25 million (2007), 29 million (2011), and 28 million (2015) respectively, such trend was also observed for households having income between $25,000-$49,999 in 2007 (27 million), in 2011 (30 million), and in 2015 (29 million).

Overall, in America there was no fluctuation in households of individuals, having salary $50,000 to $74,999.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the chart and provided relevant data points for comparison. You covered all three years and all income categories. However, the report could be improved by grouping the data more logically rather than listing figures for each category sequentially. For instance, comparing the trends of the lowest and highest income brackets would provide a more analytical overview. Additionally, ensure that your summary accurately reflects the data; for example, you mentioned that the $50,000-$74,999 category remained the same, but a closer look at the chart shows slight variations. Overall, you have addressed the requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a brief overview. You use some cohesive devices such as 'on the other hand' and 'during', which help guide the reader. However, the transition between sentences can feel a bit mechanical, and the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, with the second paragraph containing the bulk of the information. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus to enhance the overall flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'classifies', 'threshold', and 'fluctuated' appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as referring to 'households of individuals' which is slightly redundant. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repeating the same sentence structures when describing numerical changes. Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly, but expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and descriptive adjectives would add more sophistication to your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as the unnecessary comma after 'seen that' in the first paragraph and the inconsistent use of commas in lists. Additionally, the phrase 'such trend was also observed' would be better phrased as 'a similar trend was also observed'. While these errors are present, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on refining your punctuation and ensuring subject-verb agreement throughout your descriptions of the data.

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