Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-26

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 6.5)

The graph chart illustrates about how families in one country spent their weekly income between 1968 to 2018.

Overall, food had the highest proportion in 1968,but this figure is decline by 2011. While housing had the largest percentage in 2018. However, household goods had the same both sides.

In 1968, the food had the highest proportion about 35%, but it's sharply decreased in 2018 approximately 17%. Housing percentage had 10%, then it's slightly increased at around 19% in 2018. Fuel and power and clothing and footware had the almost same percentage at around 7% and 10% in 1968. After 1968, the proportion slowly decline roughly 4% and 5%. On the other hand, household goods had the same percentage in both years around 7%.

In 2018, personal goods had the percentage at around 4%, but in the fast it's increased at about 7% in 1968. The transport had the proportion 6% in 1968, then it's minimally grew approximately 9%. Lastly, the leisure had the proportion 8%, but it's considerably went up around 22% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons. You successfully identified the significant shift in food and leisure spending. However, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting, such as stating the year 2011 instead of 2018, and some figures are slightly imprecise. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurately transcribed from the prompt and that the overview clearly highlights the most significant trends without needing to list every single category in detail.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is an overall progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'In 1968', and 'On the other hand' to link your points. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'the same both sides'). Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would help improve the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'sharply decreased', 'slightly increased', and 'considerably went up'. However, there are some word choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'in the fast' instead of 'in the past' and 'footware' (spelling). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations for describing data and ensure accurate spelling of common terms. The range is sufficient for the task but lacks the flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and articles (e.g., 'the food had', 'it's decline', 'the leisure had'). Some sentences are also structurally awkward, such as 'the graph chart illustrates about how'. To achieve a higher score, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing past data. Reducing these frequent errors will significantly improve the clarity of your writing.

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