Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-04

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 information about the prevelance of number of families in millions as per their annual income in the year 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, residences with income above 100,000$ or more remained numurous with an exception of the year 2011 where households with the income less than 25,000$ and annual take home of 25,000$-49,999$ surpassed the most income generating families in number. However, dwellings with annual salary of 50,000$-74,999$ and 75,000$-99,999$ remained nearly constant through out the given time.

In the year 2007, and 2015 despite the increase in the overall number of different households the trend remained same as families with annual salary of 100,000$ or more appeared to be a majority in both years having a number of nearly 30 million and 35 million residencies respectively. Household with annual salary of 25,000$ and 25,000$- 49,999$ remained the third and second most populous in number respectively with their numbers ranging between 25 million to 30 million. Furthermore, housesholds with the yearly income of 50,000$-74,999$ and 75,000$-99,999$ maintained their trend throughout the given time even in 2011.

However, the graph depicts an exception in usual trend in the year 2011. This year number of families generating the annual income of less than 25,000$ and 25,000$-49,999$ became the most numerous with their number reaching to nearly 30 million. Moreover, households with the annual income of 100,000$ or more showed an unsusal decline in its number dropping its number to under 30 million for the year 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the chart and provided a clear overview. You correctly highlighted the dominance of the highest income bracket in 2007 and 2015, while noting the shift in 2011. However, the report contains some inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, you state that the $25,000–$49,999 group was the second most populous, but the chart shows the <$25,000 group often had higher figures. Additionally, the claim that the $50,000–$74,999 and $75,000–$99,999 groups remained 'nearly constant' is a slight over-generalization, as there are visible fluctuations. To improve, ensure your data interpretation is precise and directly supported by the figures provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group information by year and trend. You use cohesive devices such as 'However,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Moreover' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general trend from the specific exception in 2011. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing of specific income groups could be more concise to avoid repetition. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'prevalence,' 'surpassed,' 'populous,' and 'unusual decline.' However, there are several spelling errors ('prevelance,' 'numurous,' 'residencies,' 'unsusal') and some awkward phrasing, such as 'most income generating families.' These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. To reach a higher band, focus on accurate spelling and more precise collocations, such as using 'income bracket' or 'earning category' instead of 'income generating families.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'In the year 2007, and 2015 despite the increase in the overall number of different households the trend remained same.' There are some grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('the trend remained the same') and issues with pluralization ('number of families... remained numurous'). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences are slightly cluttered. While you attempt complex structures, the frequency of minor errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent use of articles will improve your accuracy.

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