Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-19

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 chart illustrates the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, it is apparent that the proportions varied considerably among the categories. the number of households earning $100,000 or more recorded the highest figures throughout the period, whereas $75,000-$99,999 remained the lowest.

Looking first at $100,000 or more, 2015 occupied the top position, at around 33 millions, followed by 2007 and 2011, whose figures stood at approximately 29 millions and 27 millions. While, $50,000-$74,999 remained unchanged over the period shown. As for less than $25,000, the figures for 2007, 2011 and 2015 stood at nearly 25, 28 and 27 millions respectively.

Turning to $75,000-$99,999, 2011 recorded the lowest figure at just-below 15 millions, with 2007 and 2015 at almost 14 and 15 millions respectively. The number of $25,000-$49,999 was higher in 2011, at well-above 25 millions, than 2015 and 2007, at around 26 and 28 millions respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting an overview of the main features and making relevant comparisons across the categories and years. Key trends are identified, such as the $100,000 or more bracket recording the highest figures and the $50,000-$74,999 bracket remaining completely unchanged. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the specific data points from the chart. For example, the student states that the $100,000 or more category in 2007 was 'approximately 29 millions' and 2011 was '27 millions', whereas the chart shows them closer to 29.5 and 27.5 respectively. Additionally, some data pairings for the $25,000-$49,999 bracket are slightly mixed up in terms of the years. Despite these minor data inaccuracies, the response provides a clear summary of the overall visual information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is organized logically into distinct paragraphs, starting with an introduction and a general overview, followed by body paragraphs grouping the income categories. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Looking first at', 'While', 'As for', and 'Turning to'. However, there are some minor structural issues, such as a lowercase starting letter in the second paragraph ('the number of households...'). Paragraphing is generally appropriate, and there is a clear logical progression throughout the text, allowing the reader to follow the comparisons easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms such as 'illustrates', 'proportions', 'category', 'recorded', and 'unchanged'. Less common vocabulary is attempted, though sometimes with minor errors in word choice or phrasing, such as writing 'millions' as a noun plural in 'around 33 millions'. Repetition of phrases like 'stood at' is noticeable. However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended comparisons and trends without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory participial clauses ('Looking first at...') and contrasting clauses introduced by 'While'. Grammatical control is generally good, though there are occasional minor errors and punctuation slips, such as the missing capitalization at the beginning of the second sentence in the second paragraph ('the number...') and the incorrect comma placement in 'While, $50,000-$74,999...'. Complex structures are attempted with reasonable success, and errors rarely impede understanding.

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

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