Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below gives information about how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

1968 and 2018: average weekly spending by families

Student answer (Band 4.5)

The bar chart illustrates how families in a country spent their weekly income in eight different sectors in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, food was the most popular sectors where people highly spent their money, while fuel and power was the least fabvorable option. Household goods remain unchanged in both years.

In 1968, food dominated all eight categories, people spent almost 35% of their income. Clothing and footware and housing were the second highest demanding option, people spent about 22% of their income. While, houshold goods rem

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the chart’s subject and provide an overview, noting that food was highest in 1968 and that household-goods spending stayed unchanged. However, the overview is inaccurate for the full period: in 2018, leisure was the largest category, while fuel and power was the smallest in both years. The figures in the body also misreport the comparison: housing and clothing were each about 10% in 1968, not together about 22%. Most importantly, the response ends mid-sentence and omits nearly all 2018 data and several key comparisons. It is also substantially below the required 150 words. To address the task more fully, complete the report and select the major rises and falls across both years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and the beginning of a detail paragraph. This gives the reader some sense of how the report is organised. However, the progression is incomplete because the final paragraph stops at “While, houshold goods rem,” leaving the comparison unfinished and preventing a clear account of the chart as a whole. The overview also does not lead into a balanced discussion of both years. Linking is limited, and “While” is used without a completed contrasting clause. Organise the details into a complete comparison of 1968 and 2018, and use clear links such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” to guide the reader between changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “weekly income,” “categories,” and “dominated,” so the subject is generally clear. There are also attempts to vary expression, such as “most popular sectors” and “second highest demanding option,” but these combinations are not natural for describing expenditure. Spelling errors in “fabvorable,” “footware,” and “houshold” reduce accuracy, while “sectors” is less precise than “categories” here. Choose standard chart-reporting collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe categories as receiving the highest or lowest proportion of spending, rather than calling them popular or favourable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You produce some understandable simple sentences, including “The bar chart illustrates how families in a country spent their weekly income…” However, grammatical control is uneven, particularly when you attempt longer sentences. In “Clothing and footware and housing were the second highest demanding option, people spent…,” two clauses are joined with a comma, and the plural subject does not agree with singular “option.” The overview also has agreement and tense problems: “food was the most popular sectors” and “Household goods remain unchanged.” The final sentence is incomplete, so its structure cannot be followed. Practise forming complete comparisons with accurate subject–verb agreement and use a full stop or a suitable conjunction between independent clauses.

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