Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-14

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 millions and their annual income over the period of three year in the US.

Overall, it is clear that $100,000 or more category had the largest number of households, while the less than $25,000 and $25,000-$45,000 categories proportions increase substantially. Other categories shares were reamined stable.

Less than $25,000 category recorded 25 million houses in 2007 before further rising to about 28 million in 2011 and slightly dropped to around 27 million in 2015. A similar pattern was observed for households

whose earning was $25,000-$49,999 stood at approximately 27 million in 2007, reaching a peak of 30 million in 2011 before declining to aorund 28 million by 2015.

In 2007 $100,000 or more annual had the largest number of households about 29 million. Later its proportion of households slightly dropped to around 27 million in 2011 before further rising to above 30 million. Furthermore, the number of homes with annual incomes of $50,000-$74,000 and $75,000-$99,999 were relatively stable throughout the period, while the $$75,000-$99,999 numbers slightly grow from just below 15 million to exact 15 million households.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern that the highest-income group was largest overall and report several relevant figures across all three years. The account of the two lower-income groups rising to a peak in 2011 and then easing is broadly accurate, as is the stable figure for $50,000–$74,999. This covers the task well, with some features already selected and compared effectively. However, the overview is not fully precise: the $100,000-or-more group was not largest in 2011, when the $25,000–$49,999 group was slightly higher. The claim that both lower-income categories increased substantially also overlooks their small declines by 2015. The $75,000–$99,999 group’s slight rise is mentioned, but its 2011 dip is not clearly reported. Sharpening these comparisons would make the overview more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs describing the lower-income groups and then the higher-income groups. This gives the reader a generally logical route through the data, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “A similar pattern” and “Furthermore” help connect points. Some cohesion is less controlled, however. The second paragraph groups two categories together as increasing, although both later decline, and the final paragraph shifts between the $100,000-plus group and the two middle bands without a fully clear sequence. The phrase “while the $$75,000-$99,999 numbers” also makes the reference awkward and repetitive. Organising the details consistently by income band, and using clearer references to each group, would improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of chart-related vocabulary, including “recorded,” “reaching a peak,” “declining” and “relatively stable.” These choices help describe changes and comparisons, and the meaning is generally clear. There are also several inaccurate or awkward choices that limit precision: “houses” should be “households,” “their annual income” is an imprecise description of the chart, and “proportions” is not suitable when the figures are numbers of households. Spelling errors such as “reamined” and “aorund,” along with the malformed “$$75,000,” reduce accuracy. Aim for consistent, precise terms such as “number of households” and “income band,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including the overview clause “while …” and the comparison beginning “before further rising.” Most of the data remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. The introduction has a number mismatch in “over the period of three year,” and the overview’s “categories proportions increase” lacks a clear grammatical structure. In “households whose earning was … stood,” the relative clause and main clause do not connect correctly. There are also tense and agreement problems in “numbers slightly grow,” and the final sentence is difficult to parse because of its construction. Use complete, direct sentence patterns—for example, “The number of households earning … rose”—and maintain consistent past-tense reporting. More accurate control of these structures would strengthen the response.

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