Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-01

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 across different annual income brackets in the United States in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, it can be seen that the households earning $25,000–$49,999 and those earning $100,000 or more recorded the highest figures, while the $75,000–$99,999 income group consistently had the lowest number of households.

According to the chart, the number of households less than $25,000, there was a notably rise around 25 million in 2007 to approximately 28 million in 2011. However, the number dipped slightly to about 27 million in 2015. Similarly, the income range of houshold $25,000-$49,999 grew about 27 million in 2007 to nearly 30 million in 2011 and then the data declined slowly to 28 million in 2015.

In contrast, the number of households highest income $100,000 or more saw their income 29 million in 2007 and The figure fell to around 27 million in 2011, then increased sharply to approximately 33 million in 2015.

The households in the $50,000-$74,000 and $75,000-$99,999 income brackets remained relatively steady throughout the years, the income averaging around 21 million and 14 million respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task and provides a clear overview of the main trends. You successfully identified the highest and lowest income groups and highlighted the key fluctuations over the three years. However, the report could be improved by ensuring data accuracy; for example, you mention the $100,000+ group 'saw their income 29 million', which is a misinterpretation of the data (the figure represents the number of households, not their income). Additionally, ensure that all comparisons are precise. While you have selected the main features, some of the data reporting is slightly imprecise, which prevents a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Similarly', and 'However' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different income categories. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, although some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, ensure that referencing is always clear and that the flow between sentences is more natural, avoiding repetitive sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'income brackets', 'consistently', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'notably rise' (should be 'notable rise') and 'saw their income 29 million' (referring to the number of households as income). These errors occasionally impact the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that the vocabulary used accurately reflects the data presented in the chart.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the number of households less than $25,000, there was a notably rise' (a run-on/fragmented structure) and 'grew about 27 million' (missing preposition 'by' or 'to'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing numerical changes.

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

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