Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-20

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 charts demonstrate the number of US households in millions and their annual income for years 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the number of households with annual income of $100,000 or more remained the highest in 2007 and 2015. Households with an income of $75,000-$99,999 fluctuated marginally for the provided years. Moreover, the number of households with income between $50,000-$74,999 remained unchanged for the three years mentioned.

In 2007, approximately 30 million households had an annual income of $100,000 or more which declined slightly in 2011. However, the income surged to the highest in 2015 with around 34 million households making this amount. 14 million households generated an income of $75,000-$99,999 in 2007 which decreased slightly in 2011 and then finally reached to 15 million. An income of $50,000-$74,999 remained static for 21 million households.

Furthermore, the number of households with income between $25,000-$49,000 was more than households with income less than $25,000 in 2007, 2011 and 2015 respectively. In 2007, 25 million households received an income of less than $25,000 which grew the most in 2011 and then again declined in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview and selecting key data points to report and compare. The main features are identified, such as the highest earning bracket ($100,000 or more) reaching its peak in 2015 and the static nature of the $50,000-$74,999 category. However, there are minor inaccuracies in the overview, such as claiming the highest income bracket remained the highest in 2007, whereas the data shows it was closely matched or slightly below others in that specific year. Additionally, some data descriptions are slightly imprecise, such as referring to 'the income surged' instead of the number of households. Nonetheless, a clear response with relevant data support is achieved.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised into an introduction, an overall summary paragraph, and two body paragraphs detailing specific data. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'Moreover', 'In 2007', and 'Furthermore'. Paragraphing is logical, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in presenting the data. However, referencing and progression occasionally feel a bit mechanical, particularly in the transitions between sentences in the body paragraphs. Overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, incorporating terms such as 'fluctuated marginally', 'remained static', 'declined slightly', and 'surged'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, though occasional word choice and collocation issues arise, such as referring to the 'income' surging rather than the 'number of households in that income bracket'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary is sufficient to allow clear communication of the chart's main trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and time markers effectively (e.g., 'Households with an income of $75,000-$99,999 fluctuated marginally for the provided years.'). There are several instances of minor grammatical awkwardness or missing prepositions, such as 'reached to 15 million' (instead of 'reached 15 million'). However, the majority of simple sentences are error-free, and complex structures are attempted with a fair degree of success. Errors do not impede communication.

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