Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 compares the number of households in us, measured in millions across five different annual income categories in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, households earning $100,000 or more showed the most notable increase over the period, becoming the largest income group by 2015. By comparison,the number of households in the remaining categories fluctuated only slightly, with the $50,000-$74,99 category remained virtually unchanged.

IN 2007,the number of households earning $100,000 or more stood at 29 million. while, the figure slightly drifted downward to approximately 28 million in 2011, it then rose substantially, to around 33 million in 2015, showing a notable upward trajectory. Conversely, income group $25,000-$49,999 and less than $25000 showed around 25-28 million, respectively, in 2007, In 2011, the figures for these two stood at approximately 29-30 million and finished around 28-29 million by 2015. The two income groups with their households earning $50,000-99,999 remained stable around 21 million and 14 million respectively, throughout the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting the main features of the US household income chart for the years 2007, 2011, and 2015. Key trends are highlighted, such as the significant rise in households earning $100,000 or more and the stability of the middle-income groups. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting specific figures, such as stating the $100,000+ group stood at 29 million in 2007 when the chart indicates 29.5 million, and minor grouping errors regarding the $50,000–$99,999 brackets. Despite these minor discrepancies, the overall response effectively selects and compares relevant information to meet the requirements of an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs that detail specific data points. Cohesive devices are used appropriately to signal contrasts and sequences, such as 'Overall', 'By comparison', and 'Conversely'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct analytical points. However, referencing and progression are occasionally hindered by awkward transitions and run-on sentences, such as combining multiple income ranges into single comparative structures without completely clear signposting. Overall, the arrangement of ideas is coherent and allows the reader to follow the main trends easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'fluctuated', 'substantially', 'upward trajectory', and 'virtually unchanged'. However, there are some imprecise word choices and collocational errors, such as '$50,000-$74,99 category' and 'less than $25000 showed around 25-28 million'. Spelling and word-formation errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the response from achieving a higher band score due to lack of complete control over precise academic terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses and participial phrases like 'becoming the largest income group by 2015' and 'showing a notable upward trajectory'. However, control over punctuation and grammar is inconsistent. There are several mechanical and grammatical errors, including missing capitalization ('IN 2007,the'), comma splices, incorrect spacing ('25,000-49,999', '25000'), and awkward punctuation placement around transitional phrases (e.g., '2007. while, the figure...'). These errors occasionally disrupt the flow of reading, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 territory.

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