Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-20

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 chart illustrates the number of US households by their yearly income in the years 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, the number of US families who earned between $75000 and $99999 were the smallest group thoughout all the years. The highest share of total households was contributed by people who earned more than $[redacted phone] in the years 2007 and 2015, while it was people who earned between $25000 and $49999 in 2011.

Citizens who earned less than $25000 associated for around 25% to 30% in all the years. People earning from $25000 to %49999 started with just over 25% of total households in 2007 and rose to 30% in 2011, which was the highest in any category of earners.

Furthermore, people who earned from $50000 to $74999 constituted exaclty 21% in all these years. Citizens who earned more than $[redacted phone] contributed to the largest total households in the year 2007 and 2015 which was 30% in both

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the chart’s subject and give a useful overview of the main pattern: the $75,000–$99,999 group is consistently the smallest, while the $100,000-plus group is largest in 2007 and 2015. You also correctly note that the $25,000–$49,999 category leads in 2011 and that the $50,000–$74,999 figure stays at about 21 million. However, the response repeatedly describes household counts as percentages or “share[s]” (“25% to 30%” and “30% in both”), although the chart reports numbers of households in millions. The final comparison is also incomplete, and the slight changes in the other categories are not fully reported. Use the correct units and develop the year-by-year comparisons more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs that group several income categories. Linking expressions such as “Overall” and “Furthermore” help signal the direction of the discussion. The progression is understandable, but the body paragraphs do not consistently organise the figures by year or by a clear comparison, and the final sentence ends without completing its comparison. Some connections are also repetitive, with several sentences beginning “People/Citizens who earned…”. Grouping the categories with similar trends, then comparing their values across all three years, would make the progression more deliberate. Clearer references to the figures and a complete final sentence would also improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “illustrates,” “constituted,” “contributed,” and “largest.” These choices show an attempt to vary the language used to describe the chart. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “associated for” does not naturally describe a category’s figure, and “highest share” suggests percentages rather than household totals. “Families” and “Citizens” also vary the wording unnecessarily when the chart measures households. There are spelling errors in “thoughout” and “exaclty,” and the income bands would be clearer if consistently formatted. Aim for precise chart language such as “stood at,” “accounted for,” and “million households,” while checking spelling and collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple statements and more complex forms, including the contrast in “while it was people who earned…” and the relative clause “which was the highest in any category.” Most of the meaning remains clear, but some grammatical choices need closer control. In the overview, “the number … were the smallest group” mismatches a singular subject with a plural verb and an unsuitable complement; “the group … was the smallest” would be clearer. The phrase “people earning … started … and rose” also shifts awkwardly between a group and its number. The final sentence is incomplete, and punctuation is missing at its end. Check subject–verb agreement, sentence completeness, and consistent grammatical subjects when describing figures.

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