Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-20

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 provided bar chart illustrates the information about the number of households, across five income groups yearly, in the United States in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the high income group ($100,00 or more) has the highest number of households earning that money yearly on the chart, whereas the $75,000-$99,999 income category holds the least number. While the middle income category ($50,000-$74,999) depicted a consistency through out the period, other income brackets experienced minor fluctuations.

In 2007, the high income bracket ($100,00 or more) accounted for nearly 30 million household earning this figure annually, while the $75,000-$99,999 income category made up for around 15 million households and it hovered around this level all through the timeline as the least number seen on this chart. Furthermore, 25 million people earned less than $25,000 while the $25,000-$49,999 income group accounted for around 27 million households that year.

In 2011, The number of high income group ($100,00 or more) dropped slightly to around 27 million, while the $25,000-$49,999 income bracket topped the chart with 30 million households. Additionally, the number for less than $25,000 income category increased to around 29 million. However, the middle-income group ($50,000-$74,999) remained in the same level at 21 million households for the entire timeline.

Finally in the 2015, the number opting high income group ($100,00 or more) reached nearly 35 million while the other categories faced slight decline in number.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features and trends of the data. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with specific figures from the chart. However, there are some inaccuracies in your reporting. For instance, you stated the $75,000-$99,999 category was the least, but the chart shows the $100,000+ category was actually the highest in 2007 and 2015, and your interpretation of the middle-income group's consistency is slightly contradicted by the data. Additionally, the final paragraph is somewhat underdeveloped compared to the earlier sections. To reach a higher band, ensure your data points are precisely accurate and provide a more balanced analysis across all years.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological progression. You use some cohesive devices such as 'while', 'furthermore', and 'however' to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disjointed, particularly in the transition between the 2011 and 2015 data. Paragraphing is used appropriately, which helps the reader navigate the information. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is always clear and natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'accounted for', and 'income brackets'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'number opting high income group' and 'earning that money yearly', which sound slightly unnatural. Additionally, there are some recurring typos, such as '$100,00' instead of '$100,000'. While these do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring consistent accuracy in numerical representation would strengthen this criterion significantly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'the number of high income group' (should be 'the number of households in the high income group') and 'remained in the same level' (should be 'at the same level'). There are also minor punctuation and article errors throughout the text. Despite these errors, the meaning is generally easy to follow, and the mistakes do not cause significant confusion. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions in statistical descriptions.

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

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