Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-02

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 7.0)

The chart illustrates the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011, 2015 in five different categories.

Overall, households earning $100,000 or more recorded the highest figure by 2015. In addition to that, households earning $50,000-$74,999 and $75,000-$99,999 were relatively similar throughout the year, whereas the other two categories fluctuated moderately.

In 2007, approximately 25 million households earned less than $25,000 per year, while around 27 million were in the $25,000–$49,999 category. The number of households earning $50,000–$74,999 stood at about 21 million, compared with roughly 15 million for those earning $75,000–$99,999. The highest-income group, at approximately 30 million households, recorded the largest figure.

By 2011, the number of households earning less than $25,000 had risen to around 29 million, while the $25,000–$49,999 group reached 30 million, making it the largest category that year. Meanwhile, the figures for households earning $50,000–$74,999 and $75,000–$99,999 fell slightly or remained stable, at approximately 21 million and 14 million, respectively. The number of households earning $100,000 or more declined marginally to 28 million.

In 2015, the two lower-income categories stood at approximately 28 million and 29 million, respectively. The $50,000–$74,999 group remained stable at 21 million, while the $75,000–$99,999 category increased slightly to 15 million. Most notably, households earning $100,000 or more rose sharply to about 33 million, the highest figure shown on the chart.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main features and trends across the three years provided. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant change (the rise of the highest-income group). You have effectively selected and reported key data points to support your descriptions. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are fully developed; for instance, while you mention that the $50,000–$74,999 and $75,000–$99,999 categories were 'relatively similar', providing a brief comparative figure would strengthen the analysis. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression from an introduction to an overview, followed by chronological body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition to that', 'whereas', 'Meanwhile', and 'Most notably' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods. The flow of information is smooth, and each paragraph has a clear focus. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words, which demonstrates a good level of control over the structure of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases like 'fluctuated moderately', 'recorded the largest figure', and 'rose sharply' are used accurately. There is a good awareness of style appropriate for an academic report. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or synonyms for 'number of households' (e.g., 'the count of families' or 'the proportion of households') would elevate the lexical range further. There are no spelling errors, and the word choice is consistently appropriate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of 'while' and 'whereas' to contrast data points. The grammar is generally accurate, with very few errors. For example, your use of past tense to describe the data from 2007, 2011, and 2015 is consistent and correct. Punctuation is handled well throughout the text. To achieve a higher band, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex structures, such as participle clauses (e.g., 'Rising to 33 million, the highest-income group became the most prominent category by 2015').

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.