Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-11

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 given bar chart provides information about the number of households by income during the period from 2007 to 2015 every four years in the US.

Overall, the number of households in each income braket looked steady without any dramatic rise in each year. For example, at the beginning the incomes looked average, and did not have a very big difference, except $75,000-$99,999. However, at the end, the number of households did not significantly change.

In 2007, the number of households whose income was less than $25,000 was 25 million, and after 4 years the bar rose steadily to about 28 million. However, the number of families in 2015 dropped to over 26 million. The number of households with income from $25,000 to $49,999, in 2007 was over 26 million. After some amount of time, the bar rose to about 29 million families, and by the end of the period, it decreased to over 27 million.

At the beginning, the number of households whose income was from $50,000 to $74,999, was much lower than the other two incomes and had over 20 million. After 4 years it rose steadily to 22 million, and after another 4 years it fell to 20 million again. In addition, the number of families with an income from $75,000 to $99,999 was the smallest in comparison with the other 3 incomes, In 2007 it had over 14 million families, and did not grow until 2015. At the end it increased to about 15 million. In contrast, the number of households with an income from $100,000 and more, was the highest in comparison with other incomes. In 2007 it had over 29 million families, but in 2014 it had decreased to over 27 million. And in 2015 it experienced a sharp increase to over 34 million families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task and identifies key features, such as the trends for different income brackets. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical. For instance, the overview is vague, stating that trends were 'steady' without highlighting the most significant changes, such as the sharp increase in the highest income bracket. While the data is presented, the comparison between categories could be more insightful. The report would benefit from a more focused summary of the main trends rather than listing data points for every category in chronological order.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In 2007', 'However', and 'In contrast', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the progression of ideas within paragraphs could be smoother. For example, the transition between the description of the $50,000-$74,999 bracket and the $75,000-$99,999 bracket is abrupt. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication. There are some spelling errors, such as 'braket' instead of 'bracket'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on repetitive phrases like 'number of households' and 'the bar rose'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more varied terminology to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained relatively stable', or 'experienced a significant surge'. While the meaning is always clear, the lack of precision and variety in lexical choice limits the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'the number of households... looked steady' (should be 'remained steady') and 'in 2014 it had decreased' (the chart only shows 2007, 2011, and 2015). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are occasional errors, such as the comma splice in 'the smallest in comparison with the other 3 incomes, In 2007'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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