Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-22

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

Overall, the number of households earning $100,000 or more increased considerably over the period, while the figures for the other income groups showed relatively minor fluctuations. The $50,000–$74,999 category had the largest number of households in 2007 and 2011, whereas the $100,000+ group became the largest by 2015.

In 2007, approximately 25 million households earned less than $25,000, compared with around 27 million in the $25,000–$49,999 bracket. The number earning $50,000–$74,999 was slightly higher, at about 28 million. Around 17 million households earned $75,000–$99,999, while roughly 29 million earned $100,000 or more.

By 2011, the figures for the first four categories changed only modestly. Households earning less than $25,000 rose to about 29 million, while the $25,000–$49,999 and $50,000–$74,999 groups stood at approximately 29 and 27 million respectively. In contrast, the highest-income group increased to around 33 million. By 2015, this figure had risen further to approximately 35 million, which is the highest in all categories.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by summarizing the main trends and making comparisons between different income groups in the US for the given years. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies in the data cited. For instance, the student states that the $50,000-$74,999 category was 'about 28 million' in 2007 (whereas the chart shows it at 21 million) and misreads several other figures throughout the response. Furthermore, the overview contains factual contradictions with the chart data, incorrectly claiming that the $50,000-$74,999 category had the largest number of households in 2007 and 2011 (when the $100,000+ and $25,000-$49,999 groups were higher). Because of these noticeable misinterpretations of the visual data, the task achievement is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is divided into a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific years, demonstrating a logical overall arrangement. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'whereas', 'in contrast', and time markers like 'In 2007' and 'By 2011' are used to guide the reader through the text. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different parts of the data. However, referencing and progression are occasionally hindered by the inaccurate data points cited, which disrupt the natural flow of comparison. Overall, the structural framework is coherent despite the content errors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully employing terms related to data reporting such as 'households', 'annual income', 'fluctuations', 'category', and 'bracket'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary ('considerably', 'modestly'). However, there is a recurring grammatical/lexical slip in the opening sentence ('The bar chart illustrate' instead of 'illustrates'), and some phrasing lacks precision. The lexical control is generally sufficient to convey meaning, although vocabulary choice is at times repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, utilizing subordinate clauses and comparative forms reasonably well. There are instances of good grammatical control, particularly in sentences describing past trends. However, a notable agreement error occurs in the very first sentence ('The bar chart illustrate'). Additionally, minor punctuation slips and awkward phrasings appear, but these errors are generally non-impeding and do not obscure the overall meaning of the text, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

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