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 years 2007, 2011 and 2015. Overall, the highest number of households was approximately 33 million with an annual income of $100,000 or more in 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 were increased. For instance, in year 2007, the highest number of households was near 29 million with an annual income of $100,000 or more, while in 2011, the highest number of households was accounted at 30 million with an annual income of $25,000-$49,999. Similarly, in 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 were lowest in each year; for example, if we look at the year 2007, the lowest number of households was nearly 14 million with an annual income of $75,000 to $99,999. Furthermore, in 2011, the lowest number of households was roughly 13 million with an annual income of $75,000 to $99,999 similarly, in 2015, the lowest number of households was 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 covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview and selecting key features from the chart. In the introduction, the writer attempts an overview, noting that the highest number of households was approximately 33 million in the $100,000 or more bracket in 2015, and the lowest was near 14 million in the $75,000 to $99,999 bracket. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in reporting the highest categories for 2011, where the text states the highest number was 30 million with an annual income of $25,000-$49,999, whereas the chart actually shows $25,000-$49,999 at 29.5 million and $100,000 or more at 27.5 million, but $25,000-$49,999 is indeed one of the highest peaks that year. The ideas are supported with specific data points, fulfilling the core requirements of Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is arranged logically into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a body paragraph detailing the highest income brackets or peak categories across years, and a body paragraph focusing on the lowest income brackets. Paragraphing is used appropriately. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader (e.g., 'Overall', 'On a cursory look', 'For instance', 'In comparison', 'Furthermore'), though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or formulaic ('On a cursory look'). Referencing is generally clear, and information flows with a recognizable overall progression, earning a solid Band 7 for logical structuring.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing statistical charts, using terms such as 'compares', 'annual income', 'highest number of households', and 'approximately'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary ('pertains', 'depicts', 'accounted at'). However, there are minor lexical inaccuracies, such as saying the graph 'depicts certain number of households... which were increased' instead of showing changes or trends over time. Word choices are generally understandable and do not impede communication, placing the response comfortably in Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'The data pertains to the time period of years 2007, 2011 and 2015' and 'while the lowest number of households were near 14 million'). There are some grammatical errors, notably subject-verb agreement issues, such as 'the lowest number of households were near 14 million' ('number' is singular) and 'few households which were lowest' instead of 'the lowest categories'. Punctuation is generally fine, and while errors are present, they rarely impede overall communication.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.