Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-12

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 graph demonstrates the average income of us households from 2007, 2011 and 2015. The numbers are in millions.

Overall, the highest income was recorded $100,000 or more, but it fell slightly in 2011. In contrast, the lowest annual income was recorded from $75,000 - $99,999.

In 2007, people earning less than $25,000 were standing at 25 million. In 2011, it almost reached 30 million before falling slightly around 26 million in 2015. Households earning from $25,000 - $49,999 were below 25 million. In 2011, it was standing at 30 million and it decreased around to 28 million in 2015. Earnings from $50,000 - $74,999 remained the same over the three years of period.

$75,000 - $99,999 of earnings were standing below 15 million before declining to amund 13 million in 2011. By 2015 it reached 15 million. Earnings of $100,000 or more almost ended up reaching 30 million in 2007. In 2011, earnings of this category fell moderately to around 28 million. However it increased dramatically in 2015, almost reaching 35 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the chart across the given years, though some data descriptions contain slight misinterpretations of the visual information. For example, the student writes that the highest income was recorded in 2007 for '$100,000 or more' but states it fell slightly, whereas the categories show different distributions over time. However, overall trends such as the growth in the highest income bracket by 2015 are captured. The student attempts comparisons and highlights key figures like the 25 million and 30 million markers. To achieve a higher band, the overview needs to more accurately reflect the general trends without introducing minor inaccuracies, and comparisons between income brackets should be drawn more systematically.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, starting with an introductory overview followed by body paragraphs addressing different categories. Cohesive devices and referencing are used, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', and 'However'. However, some transitions and referencing feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, such as starting multiple sentences with 'In 2007' or 'In 2011'. Paragraphing is present and helps structure the response, but the progression within paragraphs could be smoother to guide the reader seamlessly through the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, incorporating terms like 'demonstrates', 'recorded', 'declining', and 'dramatically'. There are some lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'the highest income was recorded $100,000 or more' (instead of the number of households earning that amount) and the spelling error 'amund' instead of 'around'. Despite these flaws, the language communicates the general information effectively, fitting the profile of a Band 6 response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'In 2011, it almost reached 30 million before falling slightly around 26 million in 2015.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including prepositional and article issues like 'the average income of us households' and 'over the three years of period'. Nevertheless, these errors do not impede overall communication, and meaning remains clear, placing the performance comfortably at Band 6.

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

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