Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-10

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 6.5)

The bar chart shows the number of households in the USA in different income groups in 2007, 2011 and 2015. The figures are given in millions.

Overall, the number of households in the highest income group, $100,000 or more, increased by 2015. The group earning $75,000–$99,999 had the lowest number of households in all three years.

In 2007, about 25 million households earned less than $25,000 per year. Around 27 million households earned between $25,000 and $49,999. About 21 million households were in the $50,000–$74,999 group. The number of households earning $75,000–$99,999 was about 14 million. Around 29 million households earned $100,000 or more.

In 2011, the number of households earning less than $25,000 increased to about 28 million. The $25,000–$49,999 group also increased to around 30 million. The $50,000–$74,999 group stayed at about 21 million. The $75,000–$99,999 group was around 15 million, while the highest-income group fell slightly to about 27 million.

Finally, in 2015, the number of households earning $100,000 or more rose to about 33 million, which was the highest figure on the chart. The other groups changed only slightly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. You have identified the main trends and provided specific data points to support your observations. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant changes, such as the growth in the highest income bracket. However, to reach a higher band, you could improve the 'comparative' aspect of the task. While you list the figures for each year, you could more effectively group the data or highlight the relationships between the categories (e.g., noting that the lowest income group remained the largest throughout the period). Overall, the information is accurate and the response is well-focused on the requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological structure. Each paragraph has a clear central topic. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'In 2007', 'In 2011', and 'Finally' to guide the reader through the timeline. While the organization is effective, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical. To improve, try to incorporate more varied linking phrases or transition words that show contrast or synthesis between the years, rather than just listing the data year-by-year. Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'income groups', 'households', and 'highest figure'. The language is generally precise and allows for clear communication of the data. However, the vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying heavily on simple verbs like 'earned', 'increased', and 'was'. To achieve a higher score, you should attempt to use a wider variety of synonyms and more sophisticated collocations to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'experienced a marginal decline'. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. The grammar is generally accurate, and punctuation is handled well. You successfully use past tense forms to describe the data from 2007, 2011, and 2015. While the accuracy is good, the range of structures is somewhat limited; most sentences follow a similar 'Subject + Verb + Data' pattern. To improve, try to incorporate more complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or participial phrases to combine information and provide more variety in your writing style.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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