Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-17

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 displays the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015. It reveals the information about the household who has annual income less than $25000 to more than $[redacted phone].

The bar graph clearly shows that the households who has less than $25000 of income anually are 25 millions in the year 2007, which increased near to 28 millions in 2011 and it has been reduced to 27 millions in the year 2015. The households who has the annual income between $25000 to $49999 were 26 millions in the year 2007, and the number grows to 30 million in 2011, but it reduced in the year 2015 to 29 million. Families who has the yearly income between $50000 to $74999 were perfectly constant across all 3 years to 21 million only.

Households who has annual income between $75000 to $99999 were near to 15 million in the year 2007 and there was a drop in the year 2011 to 14 million but it again increased to 15 million in the year 2015. Families who were earning more that $[redacted phone] a year were recorded near to 30 million and dropped to 28 million in the year 2011 but it again increased to 33 million in the year 2015.

In conclusion, number of household who earn more than $[redacted phone] increases in every 4 year and the number of families who earns less than that fluctuate In every 4 years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by reporting on the data for all three years and income brackets. You successfully identified the main features, such as the stability of the $50,000–$74,999 bracket and the growth in the highest income category. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it is placed at the end rather than after the introduction, and it lacks a clear summary of the overall trends. To improve, ensure you highlight the most significant changes or patterns in an overview paragraph immediately following the introduction to provide a clearer 'big picture' for the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with each focusing on specific income brackets. There is a clear progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical, relying heavily on 'in the year' and 'and'. The transition between sentences could be smoother; for instance, the conclusion is quite abrupt and does not effectively synthesize the information presented in the body paragraphs. Using a wider variety of linking words such as 'conversely', 'meanwhile', or 'in contrast' would improve the flow and coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the necessary information clearly. You use some specific terms like 'fluctuate' and 'constant'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'near to 28 millions' (should be 'nearly 28 million') and 'the number grows' (should be 'the number grew' to maintain tense consistency). The range is somewhat limited, and you rely on basic descriptors. Incorporating more precise academic vocabulary, such as 'remained stable', 'experienced a marginal decline', or 'witnessed a significant surge', would elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'households who has' instead of 'households who have') and pluralization (e.g., '25 millions' instead of '25 million'). Tense consistency is also an issue; you switch between present and past tense when describing historical data. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent use of past tense for historical data will significantly 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.