Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-21

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 7.5)

The bar chart illustrates the distribution of US households across five different annual income brackets over three distinct years 2007, 2011 and 2015. The figures are measured in millions of households.

Overall, it is evident that the highest income bracket experienced the most significant fluctuations over the period. Conversely, the middle-income group remained entirely stable.

To begin with, the wealthiest households earning $100,000 or more, were roughly at 29.5 million in 2007. This figure saw a slight dip to around 27 million in 2011, before experiencing a substantial surge to peak at approximately 33 million in 2015, making it most populous category. In contrast, the number of households earning between $50,000 and $74,999 remained remarkably constant at roughly 21 million across all three years.

Turning to the lower-income groups, both the less than $25,000 and $25,000–$49,999 categories followed a similar trajectory. In 2007, they stood at approximately 25 million and 27 million respectively. Both groups saw an increase by 2011, with the '$25,000–$49,999' tier reaching nearly 30 million and the lowest income tier climbing to around 29 million. However, by 2015, the numbers for both of these income brackets had slightly decreased, stabilizing at around 28 million households each

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview and selected key features to report, such as the fluctuations in the highest income bracket and the stability of the middle-income group. The data is accurately represented, and comparisons are made appropriately between categories and years. The information is well-selected and supports the main trends identified. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most significant overall trend across all categories more comprehensively, perhaps by noting that most income brackets saw growth or stability rather than just focusing on the two extremes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from the overview to the highest income group, and then to the lower-income tiers. Cohesive devices such as 'Conversely', 'To begin with', 'In contrast', and 'Turning to' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information flows smoothly. The use of referencing is clear, ensuring that the reader can easily follow the comparisons made between the different income brackets and the years provided.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. Phrases such as 'significant fluctuations', 'substantial surge', 'most populous category', and 'followed a similar trajectory' show a level of sophistication and precision. The terminology related to data reporting is used accurately. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. To achieve a higher score, you could incorporate a slightly wider range of less common lexical items or more varied ways to describe trends, such as 'plateaued' or 'marginal increase'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response displays a good variety of complex structures, such as the use of participial phrases ('making it most populous category') and subordinate clauses. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the control of grammar and punctuation is strong. There are very few minor slips, such as the missing article in 'making it [the] most populous category'. These errors are non-systematic and do not impede communication. The sentence structures are varied, contributing to the overall fluency of the text.

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