Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-17

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 graph compares the number of households in the US by their annual income. The data pertains to the time period of year 2007, 2011, 2015. Overall, the highest number of households were approximately 33 million with an annual income of $100,000 or more in year 2015, while the lowest number of households were near 14 million with an annual income of $75,000 to $99,999 .

On a cursory look, it becomes evident that the bar graph depicts certain number of households in each given year which are increased. For instance, in year 2007 the highest number of households were near 29 million with an annual income of $100,000 or more, while in year 2011 the highest number of households were accounted at 30 million with an annual income of $25,000-$49,999. Similarly, in year 2015 the highest number of households were roughly 33 million with an annual income around $100,000 or more.

In comparison, the graph shows few households which are lowest in each year; for example, if we look year 2007 the lowest number of households were nearly 14 million with an annual income of $75,000 to $99,999. Furthermore, in year 2011 the lowest number of household is roughly 13 million with an annual income of $75,000 to $99,999 similarly, in year 2015 the lowest number of households were approximately 15 million with an annual income of $75,000 to $99,999.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student attempts to address the prompt by selecting certain features from the chart, such as the highest and lowest income brackets across the years. However, the selection is somewhat disjointed and misses a coherent overview of the main trends. For instance, the overview states that the highest number of households was approximately 33 million in 2015, but fails to capture the broader movements across the whole period, such as the overall economic shifts between 2007 and 2015. Furthermore, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting specific data points (e.g., claiming the highest number in 2011 was 30 million in the $25,000-$49,999 bracket when it was actually 29.5 million). The response covers the task adequately to achieve a Band 6.0, but lacks the fully developed comparisons and precise data selection required for higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text is arranged into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on highest and lowest figures respectively. This gives the response a clear overall structure. However, logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical use of cohesive devices, such as 'On a cursory look, it becomes evident' and 'In comparison, the graph shows few households which are lowest'. Reference words are occasionally unclear or repetitive, and paragraph transitions could be smoother. These issues place the response firmly in the Band 6 category for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe numbers, income brackets, and years with sufficient clarity. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive, with phrases like 'number of households', 'annual income', and 'highest number of households' echoed throughout the text. There are also occasional awkward lexical choices or collocations, such as 'depicts certain number of households... which are increased' and 'the graph shows few households which are lowest'. The vocabulary errors do not impede communication, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses ('households... which are increased') and subordinate clauses ('while the lowest number...'). However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the highest number of households were', where 'number' is singular) and awkward prepositions or word forms (e.g., 'if we look year 2007', 'accounted at'). While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching Band 7.0.

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

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