Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-12

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 chart compares the number of US households by yearly income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, households which earn less than $25,000 and $25,000 to $49,999 went up in 2011, before decreasing 2015. This trend was reversed in households that earn $75,000-$99,999 and $100,000 or more. While, families earned $50,000 to $74,999 remained unchanged the whole period.

In 2007, 25 million of households earned less than $25,000, which increased to around 28 million in 2011. This figure then decreased slightly to about 27 million. Similiar pattern was observed in the households which earn $25,000-$49,999, by being approximately 26 millioin in 2007, before rising to just under 30 million, then declined slightly by about 1 million.

Among all of them family with $75,000 to $99,999 was relatively low, with being just under 15. Million in 2007, then slightly declined to about 14 million before going up to 15 milion in 2015. In contrast, families which earned $100,00 or more in year was the most common and had a similiar trend. In 2007, it was accounted for just below 30 million households, decreased to about 27 million in 2011, before increasing dramatically to over 33 million in 2015.

Number of households which earned $50,000 to $74,999 stayed the same over the given period at around 21 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the chart and provides a clear overview. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the increase in lower-income households in 2011 and the contrasting performance of higher-income brackets. However, the statement that the $50,000-$74,999 group 'remained unchanged' is slightly inaccurate based on the visual data, which shows minor fluctuations. Additionally, some data points are presented with minor inaccuracies (e.g., '15. Million'). To reach a higher band, ensure that data reporting is precise and that the overview captures the most significant shifts across the entire period rather than just listing trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific income groups. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In contrast', 'While', and 'This figure', which help the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the use of 'While' at the start of the third sentence is grammatically incorrect as it is not followed by a main clause. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used in grammatically complete structures would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'reversed', 'declined', and 'dramatically'. There are some spelling errors, such as 'Similiar' (repeated) and 'millioin', and minor collocation issues like 'family with $75,000... was relatively low' (should be 'the number of households'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Focusing on accurate spelling and more varied reporting verbs would improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as '25 million of households' (should be '25 million households'), 'families earned' (should be 'families earning'), and 'in year' (should be 'per year'). Punctuation errors, such as the misplaced period in '15. Million', also occur. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Increasing the number of error-free sentences through careful proofreading would be beneficial.

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

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