Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The given bar graph compares the number of US households, measured in millions, by their annual salary from 2007 to 2015.

Overall, the number of households earning $100,000 or more increased significantly and became the largest group by 2015. The two middle-income groups and the lowest-income groups showed only small fluctuations.

In 2007, about 25 million households earned less than $25,000, whilst around 27 million were in the $25,000-$49,999 group. The figures for $50,000-$74,999 and $75,000-$99,999 were approximately 21 million and 14 million, respectively. The highest income group recorded about 29 million households.

In 2011, the $25,000-$49,999 category became the largest at roughly 30 million, while the $100,000+ group fell slightly to about 28 million. In addition, medium-income groups remained the same as in the previous year. By 2015, households earning $100,000 or over more rose sharply to around 33 million, the highest figure on the chart. Meanwhile, the two middle-income groups remained almost unchanged, and the less than $25,000 and $25,000-$49,999 groups were marginal decreased to only about 27 million and 28 million, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively summarizes the main features of the chart. You have successfully identified the key trends, such as the significant increase in the highest income group and the relative stability of the middle-income brackets. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. However, there is a minor inaccuracy in the data reporting: you stated that the $100,000+ group was the largest in 2007, whereas the chart shows the $25,000-$49,999 group was actually higher at that time. Additionally, ensure that all comparisons are precise to fully meet the requirements for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group the data chronologically. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'meanwhile', and 'in addition' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of information is easy to follow. To reach a higher band, you could improve the variety of cohesive devices to ensure the flow between sentences feels even more natural and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly. Phrases like 'showed only small fluctuations', 'rose sharply', and 'remained almost unchanged' are well-chosen and appropriate for a data description task. There is a minor error in the phrase 'marginal decreased', which should be 'marginally decreased'. While the vocabulary is adequate and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items would help elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. You handle comparative structures well, such as 'the $25,000-$49,999 category became the largest at roughly 30 million'. There are a few minor slips, such as 'the less than $25,000 and $25,000-$49,999 groups were marginal decreased', where the passive voice construction is slightly awkward and grammatically incorrect. Overall, your control of grammar is good, and these minor errors do not impede communication.

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

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