Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The bar chart illustrates the number of US households by their annual income during the year 2007, 2011 and 2015.
overall, the figure generally increased over the years. Around 35 million households' income increased with $[redacted phone] and more during 2015. whereas 25 million households' income between $[redacted phone]9 decreased during year 2007.
Looking first at 2007, approximately 25 million households earned less than $25000, while around 27 million fell into the $25000-$49999 category. The figures for $[redacted phone]9 and $75000-$99999 were about 21 million and 15 million respectively. In contrast household earning $[redacted phone] and more accounted for roughly 30 million, making it the largest group.
In 2011, the number of households earning less than $25000 rose to approximately 29 million, while the $25000-$49999 category increased slightly to 30 million. the remaining two middle income groups changed very little, whereas the highest income group declined marginally around 29 million.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you have identified some main features, the analysis is incomplete as the 2015 data is largely ignored in the body paragraphs, and the overview is somewhat confusing. The statement 'the figure generally increased' is inaccurate given the fluctuations shown in the chart. To improve, ensure you cover all years provided in the prompt and provide a more accurate summary of the trends. The lack of a concluding summary for the final year and the failure to reach the word count limit prevent this from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the misuse of 'whereas' in the overview. The progression of ideas is logical in the first body paragraph, but the transition into the second paragraph is abrupt. Additionally, there are issues with punctuation and capitalization, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters (e.g., 'overall', 'the remaining'). Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring consistent paragraph structure will help improve the flow and coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accounted for', 'category', and 'marginally'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'income increased with $100000'. Some vocabulary is repetitive, and the precision is occasionally lacking. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and focus on using collocations more naturally. For example, instead of saying 'income increased with', you could use 'households earning an annual income of...'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement, missing articles, and incorrect preposition usage (e.g., 'during the year 2007' instead of 'in 2007'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several sentences starting with lowercase letters. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall clarity of the writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for capitalization and punctuation will significantly improve your accuracy.
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