Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-30

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 compares the number of US households, in millions, across five different categories of annual incomes for three years: 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Overall, the annual income of $100,000 or more and between $25,000 to 49,999 accounted for the largest proportion throughout the period. In contrast, the annual income between $75,000 to 99,999 consistently accounted for lowest proportion.

In 2007, roughly 29 million households had annual income of more than $100,000 making it the largest category followed by income between $25,000 and $49,999, earned by 26 million households. Around 25 million households earned less than $25,000. The $50,000 to $74,999 and $75,000 to $99,999 brackets were considerably lower at 21 million and 14 million respectively.

In 2011, the annual income between $25,000 to $49,999 represented the largest proportion at around 30 million, followed by income less than $25,000 and more than $100,000 slightly lower at 29 million. The $50,000 to $74,999 bracket was approximately at 21 million. Lastly, income of $75,000 to $99,999 accounted for least proportion at 14 million.

In 2015, the number of households earning $100,000 or more increased sharply to about 34 million, the highest figure on the chart. The two lower income groups fell slightly to around 28 million and 29 million respectively; while the middle-income categories changed very little, and remaining close to their previous levels

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The candidate has effectively addressed all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and highlighting the main features and trends of the US household income categories across the three years. Figures are reported accurately for the most part (e.g., 'about 34 million' for the highest group in 2015 and '14 million' for the lowest group). An effective overall trend is presented at the beginning, noting which categories were the highest and lowest throughout the period. The data is well-selected and relevant comparisons are made, meeting the requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear logical progression and is organized into logical paragraphs (an introduction, an overall statement, and individual paragraphs for 2007, 2011, and 2015). Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', and 'Lastly' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data. Referencing is generally clear, and paragraphing is managed sufficiently, making the overall arrangement coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, using terms like 'proportion', 'brackets', and phrases such as 'increased sharply' and 'considerably lower'. There are occasional slight awkwardnesses in phrasing, such as 'accounted for lowest proportion' missing a definite article, and minor preposition choices, but overall the lexical resource is adequate for precise task communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used throughout the response. There are several instances of accurate complex structures, such as participial clauses ('making it the largest category followed by income...') and comparative structures. Grammatical control is generally good, though there are a few minor slips and missing articles (e.g., 'accounted for lowest proportion'). However, these errors do not impede communication.

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