Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-24

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 table chart illustrates the number of households in the united states by their yearly income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Overall, Number of families earning more than 100,000$ increased over time, Whereas. households earning 75000-99,999usd remained stable over the period.

In the year 2007 around 30 million families earned 100,000 and more. there was minor dip in 2011 to around 27-28million but following the major surge in 2015 approximately 33-35 million households were earning 100,000usd. Whereas. families earning between 75000-99,999usd hovered around 13-15 million in the years.

There were 25million households earned lower than 25,000usd in 2007. in the following years numbers hovered around 13-15million. Around 26 to 27 million earned between 25,000-49,000$ in 2007 there was a significant surge in 2011 and numbers reached to 30 million while in 2015 around 28-29 million were earning in 25000-49,000 bracket. Finally households earning 50,000-74,999usd remained stable in all these years between 20-22 million households earned 50,000-74,999usd.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important features, including the rise in households earning at least $100,000 by 2015 and the broadly stable $75,000–$99,999 and $50,000–$74,999 groups. Most reported figures are close to the chart. However, one key trend is misreported: households earning under $25,000 were about 28–29 million in 2011 and 2015, not 13–15 million. The overview also says the $75,000–$99,999 group remained stable, although it dipped slightly in 2011 before rising in 2015. The response covers all income bands, but the overview and some comparisons are not consistently accurate or equally developed. Check each category’s direction before summarising it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs reporting the figures. It also uses sequencing and contrast markers such as “Overall,” “In the year 2007,” “Whereas,” and “Finally,” so the reader can generally follow the comparisons. However, the progression within the final paragraph is less controlled: the under-$25,000 figures are followed by the $25,000–$49,999 group and then the stable middle-income group, with some transitions that do not clearly signal the shift. Repeated use of “Whereas” and “in the years” makes cohesion somewhat mechanical, and the standalone “Whereas.” interrupts the flow. Grouping categories by similar trends and using clearer links would strengthen the organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “increased,” “minor dip,” “major surge,” “hovered,” and “remained stable.” These choices help describe changes and comparisons, and the income brackets are generally identifiable. There is also some attempt at more precise reporting through phrases such as “approximately” and “between.” However, several expressions are imprecise or awkward, including “table chart,” “yearly income,” and “numbers hovered around 13-15million,” which also obscures the intended data. Currency and number formatting are inconsistent, and “families” is used where “households” would be more accurate. More consistent chart terminology and precise trend language would build on the range already shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “while” and a time sequence in “there was a significant surge in 2011 … while in 2015…”. The main comparisons are usually understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “There were 25million households earned” needs a relative clause or a different structure, such as “There were 25 million households earning…”. Sentence openings after full stops are often not capitalised, and “Overall, Number” has unnecessary capitalisation. The fragment “Whereas.” and punctuation around it also disrupt sentence structure. Review clause construction, articles, and sentence boundaries; more consistently accurate sentences would make the comparisons clearer.

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