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 chart illustrates the number of households (in millions) and their yearly income across 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, among the 5 annual income brackets, the last bracket ($100,000 or more) had the highest number of households before it took a dip in 2011 and gained the top position back by 2015. Meanwhile, the first and second salary range showed similar trend, first, the number increased for both and then decreased. On the other hand, the third and fourth experienced slight to no change over the three years.

In 2007, around 29 million people had an annual income of $100,000 or more, while the number decreased slightly in 2011 (roughly 27 million), before it climbed sharply to aorund 33 million in 2015. Meanwhile, the $50,000-$74,999 bracket continuously had the same number of houseworkers at 21 million. Although, the $75,000 bracket fluctuated slighlty, the count did not change a lot over the years, started at 14 million and ended at having 15 million of employees. Regarding the salary bracket less than $25,000 and $25,000-$49,999, they jointly showed similar progress. First, in 2007 both range had lower number of workers (around 25 million and 27 million, respectively) compared to 2011. However, the number rose to 28 million for less than $25,000 bracket and 29 million for the $25,000-$49,999 bracket in 2011. And for both categories the count decreased in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response provides a clear overview of the main trends and selects relevant data points to support the description. You successfully identified the key fluctuations in the $100,000+ bracket and the relative stability of the middle-income groups. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by inaccuracies in data interpretation; for instance, you refer to 'houseworkers' and 'employees' instead of 'households', which is the unit of measurement provided in the prompt. Additionally, the description of the $25,000-$49,999 bracket is slightly confusing in its phrasing. To reach a higher band, ensure that the terminology used strictly matches the data labels provided in the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, and you use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'On the other hand', and 'Although' to link your points. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as when you refer to 'they' without clearly distinguishing between the two brackets mentioned in the previous sentence. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the overview from the detailed data analysis, which helps the reader follow your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuated', 'climbed sharply', and 'brackets' appropriately. However, there are some noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, such as using 'houseworkers' and 'employees' to describe 'households'. These errors, while not impeding communication, indicate a lack of precision. To improve, focus on using the exact terminology from the chart labels and try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' to avoid repetition. The spelling is generally accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses starting with 'Although' or 'While'. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'first, the number increased for both and then decreased' (which lacks a subject or clear connection) and 'aorund' (a typo). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and pluralization, such as 'showed similar trend' instead of 'showed a similar trend'. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not significantly impede the reader's understanding of the data.

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

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