Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-09
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
below shows the value of one country’s exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 6.0)
The table illustrates the source of funding for the police force in a region of Britain in 2017 and 2018, while the accompanying pie charts show how this budget was distributed across three main categories over the same period.
Overall, total police funding experienced a moderate increase over the two-year period, with the National Government remaining the single largest source of revenue. Regarding expenditure, the vast majority of funds was allocated to salaries, although the proportion spent on technology nearly doubled by 2018.
In 2017, the overall budget stood at £304.7 million. The primary source of income was the National Government, which provided £175.5 million, followed by Local Taxes at £91.2 million and other sources (such as grants) at £38 million.
By 2018, total revenue rose to £318.6 million. Funding from Local Taxes saw the most notable increase, rising by £11.1 million to £102.3 million. Contributions from the National Government grew slightly to £177.8 million, while other sources recorded a marginal increase of £0.5 million to reach £38.5 million.
In terms of spending, salaries for officers and staff absorbed the largest share of the budget in both years, despite falling from 75% in 2017 to 69% in 2018. Conversely, the share allocated to technology nearly doubled, rising from 8% to 14%. Spending on buildings and transport remained constant at 17% across both years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 2.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 2.0
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt provided data regarding export categories, but the student wrote a report about police funding and budget distribution. While the report itself is well-structured and uses data effectively, it fails to address the specific task instructions provided. Consequently, it cannot be assessed for task achievement regarding the actual prompt. In an official examination, this would be treated as a memorized or irrelevant response, resulting in a very low score for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is well-organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'while', 'regarding', 'conversely', and 'in terms of' is logical and effective. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two distinct data sets (funding sources and expenditure). Despite the content being irrelevant to the prompt, the internal structure and flow of the writing are excellent, demonstrating a high level of control over discourse markers and logical progression.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
The student demonstrates a wide and sophisticated range of vocabulary. Phrases such as 'absorbed the largest share', 'marginal increase', and 'distributed across' are used accurately and naturally. The vocabulary is precise and contributes to a professional tone. There are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the student successfully employs topic-specific terminology related to the (albeit incorrect) subject matter of police funding.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The writing displays a high level of grammatical control. A variety of complex structures are used, such as 'while the accompanying pie charts show...' and 'despite falling from 75% in 2017 to 69% in 2018'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent, reflecting a high level of proficiency in English grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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