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 bar chart illustrates the number of households in the US by their income in the following years 2007, 2011 and 2015 respectively.

Overall, the number of households earning $100,000 or more increased significantly and became the largest group by 2015. In contrast, the figures for middle-income groups remained relatively stable throughout the period.

In 2007, 25 million households in the U.S earned less than $25,000 followed by 27 million households earning in between $25,000 - $49,999. The figures for households earning $50,000 - $74,999 and $75,000 - $99,999 were 21 million and 14 million respectivey. Meanwhile, approximately 29 million households earned $100,000 or more.

In 2011, the number of households in the lowest income group had risen to 28 million, while the $25,000 - $49,999 group reached 30 million. The middle income group figures are remained unchanged at around 21 and 14 million. However, the highest income group decreased slightly to approximately 27 million.

In 2015, the households earning $100,000 or more had experienced a significant improvement making it upto 33 million making it highest figure on chart. The $25,000-$49,999 group stood around 28 million and other groups remained slightly unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task and provides a clear overview of the main trends. You successfully identified the significant increase in the highest income bracket and the relative stability of the middle-income groups. However, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting. For example, you stated that in 2007, 29 million households earned $100,000 or more, whereas the chart shows approximately 30 million. Additionally, the description of the 2011 figures for the middle-income groups as 'unchanged' is slightly inaccurate, as there were minor fluctuations. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are transcribed with greater precision and that comparisons between categories are more explicitly highlighted.

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. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the years. You make use of cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'However' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions could be more sophisticated. For instance, the transition between the 2011 and 2015 paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though the repetition of 'the group' could be improved by using more varied referencing techniques to enhance the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'significant', 'relatively stable', and 'fluctuations'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'making it upto 33 million' and 'remained slightly unchanged', which is a slight contradiction. While you use some less common vocabulary, the overall range is somewhat limited. To improve, try to incorporate more precise reporting verbs and adjectives to describe trends, such as 'surged', 'plateaued', or 'marginal', and ensure that your collocations are natural and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'The middle income group figures are remained unchanged' (incorrect passive/tense construction) and 'making it highest figure on chart' (missing articles). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor slips throughout. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for a greater variety of complex structures and ensure that your subject-verb agreement and article usage are more consistent. Focusing on proofreading for these small, recurring errors will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.