Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-09

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 illustrates the number of households in the United States with the help of their annual income in the year 2007, 2011 and 2015 .

Overall , there are not much noticeable changes in the annual income over the years except in the highest increase in the income group of USD [redacted phone] and more in the year 2015 .

To begin with, the number of households with the annual income of USD 50,000 - 74, 999 and USD 75000- 99,999 had remain approximately steady in all the three years ranging from 2007 to 2015. Moreover the later remains the lowest number of US households in all the three years .

Secondly , the number of US household's having the income group of less than 25000 USD and between 25000 to 49,999 USD had the same pattern of change , first they had a slight increment in the year 2011 but later in the 2015 there is a minor drop .

Finally, people with the annual income of more than 1,00,000 USD had a sharp rise in the year 2015 after a downfall in the year 2011 , which is also the majority of the number of US households.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the chart’s subject and provide an overview, noting that most groups changed little and that the $100,000-or-more category rose markedly by 2015. You also report the broad patterns for the two lower-income groups and the stability of the $50,000–$74,999 group. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the $75,000–$99,999 group was not steady throughout, falling slightly in 2011 before rising to about 15 million in 2015, and it was the smallest category in 2007 and 2011, but not in 2015. The claim that the highest-income group represented the majority is also misleading; it was the largest category in 2007 and 2015, but not in 2011. More precise comparisons and figures would make the report fuller and clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and three paragraphs describing groups of income categories. Sequencing expressions such as “To begin with,” “Secondly,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the report. However, these transitions are somewhat mechanical, and the grouping of information could be more purposeful. For example, the two stable middle-income categories are discussed together, but their different movements are not clearly distinguished. Some references are also unclear, particularly “the later,” which appears to refer to the $75,000–$99,999 category. Use more precise linking and reference, and organise comparisons around the main trends rather than relying mainly on numbered transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “annual income,” “households,” “increment,” “drop,” and “sharp rise,” so the main trends are generally understandable. There is also some attempt to vary expressions when describing change. However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise for a data report: “with the help of their annual income” does not clearly express classification, and “highest increase in the income group” is awkward. “Majority” is not the right term for saying that a category had the largest number, while “people” is less accurate than “households” here. Aim for precise collocations such as “number of households in each income bracket” and “largest category.” This would make the description more natural and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses describing changes over time, and the overall meaning is usually clear. Some grammatical errors remain, however. For example, “had remain approximately steady” uses an incorrect verb form; “the later remains” has both an unclear reference and inconsistent tense; and “the number of US household’s having” has an incorrect plural/possessive construction. Tense also shifts in “first they had a slight increment … but later … there is a minor drop,” where past-tense reporting should be consistent. Punctuation spacing is uneven, and the opening sentence would benefit from a clearer grammatical structure. Check verb forms, agreement, plurals, and consistent past tense when reporting the chart.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.