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 bar chart shows the number of US households in five income groups in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Overall, the number of households earning less than $50,000 increased slightly during the period. The middle income groups stayed almost unchanged, while households earning $[redacted phone] or more showed the biggest growth in 2015.

Looking at the lower income groups, households earning less than $25,000 increased from about 25 million in 2007 to around 29 million in 2011, before falling a little to approximately 28 million in 2015. In the same way, the number of households earning between $25,000 and $49999 rose from roughly 27 million to 30 million in 2011, then decreased slightly to about 29 million in 2015.

As for the middle-income categories, the figures changed very little over the years. Households earning between $50,000 and $74,999 stayed stable at around 21 million in all three years. Similarly, the $75,000-$99,999 category remained close to 14-15 million households throughout the period.

By contrast, households earning $[redacted phone] or more followed a different trend. The figure was around 30 million in 2007, then dropped slightly to about 28 million in 2011. However, by 2015 it increased significantly and reached approximately 33 million households, which was the highest figure on the chart

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses the task by identifying the main features and trends across the three years. You have clearly categorized the income groups and provided accurate data points to support your descriptions. The overview is concise and highlights the most significant changes, such as the growth in the highest income bracket. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are consistently formatted; for instance, you used '$49999' while other figures were written as '$50,000'. Overall, the response is well-structured and covers all parts of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs grouped by income categories, and a concluding summary. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you use cohesive devices such as 'In the same way', 'As for', and 'By contrast' effectively to transition between different groups. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct trends. The referencing is clear throughout, and the flow of information is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a high band score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information precisely. Phrases like 'showed the biggest growth', 'remained close to', and 'followed a different trend' are used accurately. There is a good attempt at using varied terminology to describe trends. While the vocabulary is functional and appropriate for an Academic Task 1, incorporating a few more sophisticated synonyms for 'increased' or 'decreased' (e.g., 'surged', 'dipped', 'fluctuated') would enhance the lexical variety. Spelling is generally accurate, with only minor inconsistencies in numerical formatting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You maintain control over grammar and punctuation, with the majority of sentences being error-free. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. To achieve a higher band, you could experiment with more complex sentence structures, such as using participle clauses (e.g., 'Having reached a peak in 2011, the number then fell...') to increase the variety of your grammatical range. Overall, the writing is clear, accurate, and professional.

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

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