Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-22

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 graph compares the number of households by the citizens of us from their annual earning in 2007, 2011 and 2015. The scale is in millions.

Overall, it is evident that the $100,000+ income group showed the largest increase. The $50,000 - $99,999 income groups remained relatively stable. Whereas, the two lowest-income groups fluctuated slightly.

Looking first at the lower income group, the number of households earning less than $25,000 increased from 2007 and to 2011 before declining slightly in 2015. The other lower income group, earning between $25,000 to $49,999 the number of households rosed slightly in 2011 compared to 2007 and again decrease slightly in 2015. Turning to the households with middle annual earning, the number of households remained almost same during 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Turning to the remaining income groups, the number of household earning $75,000 - $99,999 remained relatively stable; w However, the group with the highest income the number of households increases from 29 million in 2007 to 33 million in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the chart, including the trends for different income groups over the three years. You successfully identified the main trend, such as the growth in the highest income bracket and the stability of the middle groups. However, the report is slightly let down by the lack of specific data points for some categories. For instance, you mention the middle income groups remained 'almost same' without providing any supporting figures from the chart. To reach a higher band, ensure that every trend described is supported by at least one data point from the graph to provide a more comprehensive summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices like 'Looking first at', 'Turning to', and 'However' helps guide the reader through the information. However, there are some mechanical issues with cohesion, such as the typo 'w However' in the final paragraph, which disrupts the flow. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes slightly repetitive. Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would enhance the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'fluctuated', 'declining', and 'stable'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and form, such as 'rosed' (the past tense of rise is 'rose') and 'earning' used as a noun where 'earnings' or 'income' would be more appropriate. Furthermore, the phrase 'by the citizens of us' is awkward and imprecise. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'the number of households rosed' (incorrect verb form), 'the number of household earning' (missing pluralization), and 'the number of households increases' (inconsistent tense usage, as the data is from the past). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. Increasing your control over verb tenses and subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your score.

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

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