Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The bar chart illustrates the household count in the USA according to their annual income in 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, the number of households income earnings had increased by the end of the period, despite a minor fluctuation in one category. Notably, the household count earning $100,000 or more increased dramatically, becoming the most popular category by the end.

Firstly in 2007, houses generating annual income of less than $25,000 had increased significantly in 2011 at approximately just below 30 million before experiencing a minimal decline in 2015. The number of houses generating up to $50,000 followed the same trend, reaching 30 million in 2011.

In addition, the household count earning between $50,000-$75,000 anually recorded the same througout the period at just over 20 million. Moreover, houses with salaries of $100,000 were the highest in 2007, climbed to approximately 34 million in 2015 after facing a substantial decrease in 2011. Houses with the annual income of $75,000-$99,999 had the lowest number over the eight-year period, comprising approximately 14-15 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the given years. The overview correctly highlights the general upward trend and the dominance of the highest income category by 2015. Specific data points are generally accurate, such as noting that the $100,000 or more category climbed to approximately 34 million in 2015, and identifying that the $50,000-$75,000 bracket remained stable at just over 20 million. However, there is a minor confusion in tense usage and chronological flow in the body paragraphs (e.g., stating that 2007 figures 'had increased significantly in 2011'), which slightly affects the clarity of reporting, but overall the core requirements of Task 1 are met effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement with a distinct introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to different income groups. Paragraphing is used appropriately. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'Overall,' 'Notably,' and 'In addition.' However, some cohesive transitions and referencing feel a bit mechanical or imprecise, such as starting body sentences with 'Firstly in 2007' or mixing past and present tenses within logical sequences. Progression is generally clear, but smoother linking between categories would elevate the coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'fluctuation,' 'dramatically,' and 'substantial decrease.' There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, though a few awkward collocations appear, such as 'household count income earnings' and referring to households as 'houses generating annual income' rather than households earning that amount. Spelling is generally accurate, and word-choice errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing choices, such as 'had increased significantly in 2011 at approximately just below 30 million before experiencing' and 'recorded the same througout the period.' Punctuation is mostly acceptable, and while errors in verb tenses and prepositions occur, they rarely impede overall communication.

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