Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-03

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 US households by their annual income in 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, it is evident that households represent a higher annual income of 100,000 or more in 2015, while households who earn 50,000-74,999 remain stable throughout the period, whereas 75,000-99,999 showed a lesser value in 2011.

Regarding the number of households, 25 million households earn less than 25000, followed by above 25 million who have [redacted phone]9, which then decreased to 20 million who have [redacted phone]9, and 15 million showed a [redacted phone]9, before soaring to 30 million households who have [redacted phone] or more in 2007. Meanwhile, nearly 30 million stood at less than 25000, slightly increase to exact 30 million who earn [redacted phone]9, and decreased to nearly 20 million who have [redacted phone]9 earnings, and about 15 million show [redacted phone]9, which climbed sharply to around 25 million who have earning of [redacted phone] or more in 2011.

Turning to the other category, approximately 25 million people earn

less than 25000, nearly 30 million have [redacted phone]9, and 20 million have [redacted phone]9, 15 million have [redacted phone]9, and highest income registered by approximately 35 million people who have [redacted phone] or more by 2015

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and trends across the three years. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it focuses on specific data points rather than highlighting the most significant overall trends, such as the general increase in the highest income bracket. The reporting of data is generally accurate, but the description of the trends is occasionally repetitive. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview provides a clearer summary of the most striking patterns rather than listing specific fluctuations, and ensure the data comparisons are more explicitly linked to the years provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with each year treated in a separate section. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'regarding', 'meanwhile', 'turning to'). The progression of ideas within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by long, list-like sentences that make it difficult to follow the comparison. Improving the variety of linking words and using more sophisticated referencing would help the flow. Currently, the structure is clear enough to follow, but the transitions between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher level of cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the data clearly. There is some attempt to use varied verbs such as 'soaring', 'climbed', and 'registered', which is positive. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a tendency to repeat phrases like 'households who have' or 'households who earn'. There are also minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'represent a higher annual income' instead of 'represent a higher income bracket'. Expanding the range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and using more precise terminology for data reporting would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'slightly increase' (should be 'slightly increased') and 'have earning of' (should be 'have earnings of'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences lacking proper closing punctuation. The control over verb tenses is generally consistent with the past time frame, but the sentence construction is often clunky, which limits the range of complex structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining sentence variety would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.

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

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