Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-05

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 depicts the results of total number of households in the United States by their yearly income, comprised of three years with a gap of 4 years between them - start with 2007 to 2015. It is further categorized according to income ranges in dollars: less than 25,000, 25,000 - 49,000, 50,000 - 74,000, 75,000 - 99,999 and 1,00,00 or more. Number of households are measured in millions.

Overall, we can observed a trend of major fluctuation in all category except third category of 50 grand to 75 grand as it is has minimum ups and downs for a whole period. However richest category started with dominance and ended with dominance with a little dip in 2011. However the category of 75,000 to 99,999 had the least numbers among others.

To begin with, poorest category had just share of 25 million in starting which reach at its peak in 2011 which dip in final year to reach mid of 30 million to 25 million. In addition to that, category of 25,000 to 49,000 shows very similar trend where it was around 27 million in 2007 to 30 million in 2011 but gradually dipped in last year. Middel category (50,000 - 74,999) had almost similar numbers thorughout whole period with stranded at around 21 million.

To address, elephant in room, the dominant category or the richest category showed opposite trend where it was atmost 30 million which fell to mid of 25 to 30 million but regain it's position in 2011 with the a significant jump to 33 millions. Although fourth category is the lowest but shown the same trend like the richest, as it started at 15 million but decreased and then shown ascending trend in the end to reach exact 15 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by presenting an overview of the data and reporting the main features and comparisons across the years and income brackets. The overview captures the general trends, and key data points such as the peak for the lowest income bracket in 2011 and the dominance of the highest bracket are included. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or imprecise, such as describing the final year figures as 'mid of 30 million to 25 million' rather than precise reading or clearer grouping, which prevents a higher score. Features are relevantly selected and compared, successfully meeting the requirements for this level while displaying part of the competence needed for higher bands through its clear attempt at an overall summary and feature selection.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas, divided appropriately into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific categories. Cohesive devices and transitional phrases are used, such as 'To begin with', 'In addition to that', and 'To address', though some referencing and linking are a bit mechanical or faulty. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the response, ensuring that the reader can follow the main points easily, although tighter logical sequencing within paragraphs would elevate the cohesion further.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the general trends and comparisons. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary and phraseology, such as 'dominance', 'ascending trend', and 'elephant in room', but these attempts are sometimes accompanied by inaccuracies in word choice, phrasing, or collocation. There are also occasional phrasing awkwardnesses such as 'Middel category' and 'stranded at around', alongside minor spelling slips. The range is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly, but precision in lexical selection needs improvement to reach higher standards.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct compound and multi-clause sentences. However, there are frequent errors in grammar, articles, prepositions, and phrasing throughout the text, such as missing articles ('the poorest category had just share', 'did in final year'), incorrect prepositions ('at around'), and awkward clause structures ('where it was atmost 30 million which fell'). While these errors rarely impede overall communication, their frequency means that error-free sentences are not in the majority, which is characteristic of this band level.

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

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