Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-24

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 6.0)

The bar chart presents information about how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. they spent most of their income on food, leisure, housing.

Overall, most of the families spent their weekly income on food and housing. the most families spent leisure in 2018.

In 1968, most families spent their income on food with 35%. However, people from 2018 spent around 17% on their food. people in 1968 spent only 10% on housing, 2018 people spent 19% on housing. people from 2018 spent 22% of their income on leisure. while people from 1968 spent 8% in leisure, there is a difference about 14%.

The families of 1968 and 2018, spent on their things under 10% with, fuel and power, clothing and footware, household goods and personal goods. the household goods spent by both families are same 10%.

the transportation increase in 2018 which is 14%. the transport expense in 1968 families is only 8%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the task by identifying the main features of the chart, such as the shift in spending on food and leisure. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks a clear, cohesive overview. While you mention some data points, the comparison between 1968 and 2018 is inconsistent, and some figures are presented in a way that makes the trends difficult to follow. To improve, ensure you group data logically rather than listing individual percentages, and provide a more comprehensive summary of the most significant changes, such as the dramatic decline in food expenditure versus the rise in leisure and transport costs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For instance, the transition between sentences is often abrupt, and there is a lack of variety in linking words. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'the most families spent leisure in 2018', which is grammatically awkward and hinders the flow of information. Improving the use of transition signals like 'in contrast', 'conversely', or 'meanwhile' would significantly enhance the logical progression of your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple verbs like 'spent' and 'increase'. There is an attempt to use specific terms like 'expenditure' or 'proportion', but these are missing. Additionally, there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'the household goods spent by both families are same' and 'clothing and footware' (spelling error). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'accounted for', 'witnessed a rise', or 'remained stable'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Issues include missing articles (e.g., 'the transportation increase'), incorrect verb forms, and inconsistent capitalization at the start of sentences. The sentence structure is often fragmented, which affects readability. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent sentence punctuation will help improve your accuracy.

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