---
title: "IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar chart: The number of households in the US by annual income"
author: "ieltsnotes"
date: "2024-05-05"
lastmod: "2024-05-06"
url: "https://ieltsnotes.com/the-number-of-households-in-the-us-by-their-annual-income.html"
---

# IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar chart: The number of households in the US by annual income

## IELTS essay question

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011, and 2015. 

![](https://ieltsnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ielts-writing-task-1-the-number-of-households-in-the-us-by-their-annual-income.png)

(Source: Cambridge 18, Test 2)

## Introduction 

Rewrite the question using your own words.

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011, and 2015. 

-> The bar chart gives information about the income distribution of US households in three years: 2007, 2011 and 2015. 

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## Overview

It is very difficult to get a 7 or above without a good overview. Let’s take a closer look at the task achievement band descriptors to see how important a clear overview is in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.

![](https://ieltsnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ielts-writing-task-1-overview-.png)

- You can start your overview with: *Overall, …*
- Write the main trend(s) or overall picture of what you see in the chart(s).

![](https://ieltsnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/the-chart-below-shows-the-number-of-households-in-the-us.png)

Overall, the changes in the patterns of income over this period were not significant. The most striking change was recorded for households earning $100,000 or more annually, with figures experiencing the greatest growth. 

## Body

### Plan your answer

![](https://ieltsnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ielts-number-of-households-in-the-us-by-annual-income.jpg)

### Body paragraphs

Households in the two lowest income ranges had a similar pattern to each other. In 2007, there were about 25 million households that earned less than $25,000 per year, and a little more than that earned between $25,000 and $49,999. These figures rose by around 4 million by 2011 before dropping slightly by 2015.

The number of households with an annual income of $100,000 or more witnessed a big jump, rising from less than 30 million households in 2007 to roughly 34 million in 2015, despite a small drop in 2011 when it was outnumbered by the two lowest income groups. The numbers of households earning from $50,000 to $74,999 and from $75,000 to $99,999 remained almost the same over the period given, at a little above 20 million and approximately 15 million, respectively.

## Sample answer

The bar chart gives information about the income distribution of US households in three years: 2007, 2011 and 2015. Overall, the changes in the patterns of income over this period were not significant. The most striking change was recorded for households earning $100,000 or more annually, with figures experiencing the greatest growth. 

Households in the two lowest income ranges had a similar pattern to each other. In 2007, there were about 25 million households that earned less than $25,000 per year, and a little more than that earned between $25,000 and $49,999. These figures rose by around 4 million by 2011 before dropping slightly by 2015.

The number of households with an annual income of $100,000 or more witnessed a big jump, rising from less than 30 million households in 2007 to roughly 34 million in 2015, despite a small drop in 2011 when it was outnumbered by the two lowest income groups. The numbers of households earning from $50,000 to $74,999 and from $75,000 to $99,999 remained almost the same over the period given, at a little above 20 million and approximately 15 million, respectively.

## Useful vocabulary

- income distribution = how the nation’s total income is distributed amongst its population
- pattern /ˈpætərn/ (n) = the regular way in which something happens or is done
- striking /ˈstraɪkɪŋ/ (adj) = interesting and unusual enough to attract attention
- witness /ˈwɪtnəs/ (v) = to see something happen
- outnumber /ˌaʊtˈnʌmbər/ (v) = to be greater in number than somebody/something