Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-28

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 bar graph illustrates the number of families in the United States according to their annual incomes in three different years 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the income category of $100,000 or more was remained significant in all years, whereas the households with incomes of $75,000-$99,999 was the least significant. Other categories went through small fluctuations except the families with annual earnings of $50,000-$74,999 stayed relatively constant.

The figures for the highest income category stood at around 30 million, before decreasing to around 28million, and then recovered again to become highest at approximately 33 million. The number of households with annual earnings of $50,000-$74,999 remained at approximately 20 million and similarly the families who falls under the category of $75,000-$99,999 stayed at around 15 million in all 3 three years.

The number of households earning in first two categories followed the same trend by firstly increasing to around 29 million and exactly 30 million, before reducing to about 28 million and around 29 million respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons. You successfully identified the highest and lowest income categories and noted the trends over the three years. However, the description of the data is slightly imprecise in places. For instance, you mention 'first two categories' in the final paragraph without clearly defining which ones you are referring to, which makes the information difficult to follow. To improve, ensure that every category mentioned is clearly labeled so the reader does not have to guess which data points you are describing. Overall, you have addressed the requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'whereas' and 'similarly', to link ideas. However, the progression between sentences in the final paragraph is somewhat mechanical and unclear. The reference to 'first two categories' lacks a clear antecedent, which disrupts the flow of information. Using more varied transition signals and ensuring that your references are explicit would help improve the coherence of your writing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'significant', and 'recovered'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'was remained significant' (should be 'remained significant') and 'families who falls' (should be 'families who fall'). While you attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary, some phrasing is slightly repetitive. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring grammatical accuracy when using descriptive verbs and adjectives. The vocabulary used is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('families who falls') and incorrect verb forms ('was remained'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and phrasing errors, such as '3 three years'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent when describing past data. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will also help boost your score.

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