Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The bar chart compares the distribution of US households across five distinct annual income categories during three specific years: 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, the data illustrates a clear polarization in household income over the eight-year period. The highest income bracket ($100,000 or more) experienced the most significant net growth, becoming the most popular category by 2015. Conversely, the middle-income groups remained stable throughout the whole period.

Looking at the details, around 29 million households earned $100,000 or more in 2007. This number fell about to 27 million in 2011 but, then significantly increased to 33 million in 2015. The lowest income group (less than $25,000) showed a similar wave: it increased from 25 million in 2007 to 29 million in 2011, before falling back to 27 million in 2015. The $25,000 to $49,000 also followed this pattern, reaching a high of 30 million in 2011 and then dropping to 27 million by 2015.

In contrast, the middle-income groups hardly changed. The number of families earning between $50,000 to $74,999 stayed exactly at the same 21 million in all three-years. Finally, the $75,000 to $99,999 group was consistently the smallest, staying between 14 to 15 million during the entire timeframe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the five income categories and three years. An effective overview is provided, highlighting the polarization in household income and the notable growth in the top bracket. Key data points, such as the peak for the highest-income households in 2015 at around 33 million and the stability of the $50,000–$74,999 bracket at 21 million, are accurately selected and presented. The details support the overview well without getting bogged down in unnecessary figures, meeting all requirements of the descriptor for Band 8.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay presents a clear logical progression throughout. It is well-structured, starting with an introductory paraphrase, followed by a strong overview paragraph, and then detailed body paragraphs that logically divide the data. Cohesive devices are used appropriately and naturally, as seen with transition phrases like 'Overall', 'Conversely', and 'In contrast'. Paragraphing is fully functional and guides the reader smoothly through the response. Referencing is clear and accurate throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally flexible range of vocabulary suited to an academic report. Words and phrases such as 'polarization', 'distribution', 'significant net growth', and 'consistently the smallest' show a good awareness of style and collocation. There are minor lexical inaccuracies, such as describing a category as 'most popular' rather than 'largest', and a slight preposition slip ('fell about to' instead of 'fell to about'), but these do not impede communication. The vocabulary achieves the level required for a solid Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

A good mix of simple and complex sentence structures is deployed throughout the response. The student successfully uses subordinate clauses and comparative structures. Grammatical control is generally strong; the majority of sentences are error-free. There are minor errors, such as 'The $25,000 to $49,000 also followed this pattern' (missing the word 'group') and 'in all three-years' (unnecessary hyphen), but these are occasional and non-systematic, easily fitting the criteria for Band 7.

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

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