Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-07-29

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 chart compares the number of US households annual income in 2007, 2011, and 2015. The figures are measured in millions.

Overall, the number of households earned over $100,000 or more were the highest, while the households with the annual earnings between $75,000 and $99,999 were the lowest.

In 2007, around 30 million of households earned $100,000 or more, the figures then decreased to 26 million in 2011 before peaking at 34 million in 2015. This was followed by, second ranked income of $25,000-$49,999 was earned by approximately 26 million households in 2007, which increased to 30 million by 2011 and ended at 29 million in 2015. Similarly, around 25 million households recorded annual income less than $25,000, which followed a slight increase in 2011 at 29 million and thereafter a decline by 2015 at 27 million.

Lastly, approximately 21 million of households annual income was between $50,000 and $74,999, which remained unchanged in all three years. Likewise, the households who earned annually from $75,000 to $99,999 remained similar at around 15 million household in all years with minor fluctuations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response covers all key features of the chart, including the trends for each income bracket across the three years. You have successfully identified the highest and lowest categories in the overview and provided specific data points to support your descriptions. The comparison between categories is clear. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview is more comprehensive; for instance, noting the general stability of the lower-income groups compared to the fluctuations in the highest bracket would add depth. The data is accurately reported, and the main features are well-selected, meeting the requirements for a solid task response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In 2007', 'This was followed by', 'Similarly', and 'Lastly' to guide the reader through the data. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'This was followed by, second ranked income of...'. Improving the flow between sentences by varying your linking phrases would enhance the overall cohesion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different income categories, which helps the reader follow the information easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'recorded', and 'remained unchanged'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the number of households earned' (should be 'households earning') and 'second ranked income' (which is slightly unnatural). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, incorporating more sophisticated synonyms for 'increased' or 'decreased'—such as 'surged', 'dipped', or 'remained stable'—would demonstrate a wider, more flexible range of lexical resources.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'the number of households annual income' (should be 'the number of households by annual income') and '30 million of households' (should be '30 million households'). Additionally, some phrasing is slightly clunky, such as 'the households who earned annually from...'. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing statistical data.

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