The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
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Sample Response
The provided bar graph presents specific information regarding the number of households in the US by their annual income in three separate years.
Overall, it is evident that the number of households earning more than 100,000 annually represented the largest group in 2007 and 2015. Furthermore, a notable pattern that emerges is that there is a consistent low ranking for the $75,000 to $99,999 bracket across all yearssignificant similarity in the data of 2011 and 2015.
A closer analysis of the data reveals that the households earningwhich can earn more than 100,000 dominated the other categories, standing at approximately 29.5 million in 2007 and 33 million in 2015with the figure for approximately 33 million and 29.5 millionin 2015 and 2007 respectively. In contrast, households earning between $75,000 and $99,999 formed the smallest group, standing at just under 15 million in both 2007 and 2015.
Notably, the data pattern in 2011 shared a similar low point with 2015had a commonality with that of 2015, which was that households with incomesthat could receive salaries from $75,000 to $99,999 had the lowest figures. More precisely, households earning $100,000 or more dropped to approximately 27 million in 2011, making them the third-largest group behind those earning under $25,000 and $25,000–$49,999. Conversely, the figure for low income families who earned below $49,999 constituted the largest sharepredominated.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The essay effectively highlights key trends and supports them with accurate figures from the chart. Main limitations stem from occasional awkward phrasing and minor spacing and symbol omissions in data presentation. The highest-priority improvement is to refine vocabulary choices for describing income data and ensure consistent punctuation and spacing.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response presents a clear overview and accurately selects key features across all three years.
Ensure all numerical references include the appropriate unit symbols such as dollar signs consistently.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically organized into well-defined paragraphs with clear progression throughout.
Vary cohesive devices slightly more to avoid overusing repetitive transitional phrases.
Lexical Resource
A good range of vocabulary is used appropriately to describe proportions and trends.
Replace unnatural phrasing like 'can earn' or 'receive salaries' with precise academic expressions such as 'income brackets'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The essay uses a mix of complex sentence structures with good overall grammatical control.
Proofread carefully to eliminate minor typos, missing spaces, and small preposition errors.