Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-27

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 given bar chat illustrate the information of one country families that how they expended their weekly earnings in 1968 and in 2018.

The main trend of bar chat is in 1968 food is most demanded item many of families consumed their weekly earning.

To begin, In 1968 families expended their 35 percent of weekly earning on food and in 2018 it shows just above than 15 percent.In Housing the families expended 10 percent in 1968 and in 2018 it shows the increase and move to just below than 25 percent.At fuel and power in 1968 about 6 percent and in 2018 only 4 percent weekly income are expended.

In clothing and footwear the families expend 10 percent in 1968 and in 2018 only 5 percent.Next the household goods and personal goods are same about 8 percent in 1968 while in 2018 households are same 8 percent but personal goods are below than 5 percent so families expend most of their on house hold goods.In transport the same 8 percent are expended in 1968 but in 2018 its increase to 14 percent.In 1968 the families expended 9 percent of their weekly earning on leisure and in 2018 it shows increase and the 22 percent income are expend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all the main features of the chart, including the significant shift in food expenditure and the rise in housing and leisure costs. However, the overview is weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends, such as the overall shift from essential to non-essential spending. While the data is generally accurate, the presentation is somewhat mechanical, listing figures without fully synthesising the information. To improve, ensure you provide a clear, concise overview in the introduction that highlights the most striking changes between the two years.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the internal structure is quite repetitive. The use of cohesive devices is limited and often mechanical, relying heavily on simple transitions like 'In 1968' and 'in 2018'. There is a lack of variety in linking phrases, which makes the flow feel somewhat disjointed. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between ideas could be smoother. To improve, try using a wider range of cohesive devices such as 'conversely', 'in contrast', or 'meanwhile' to connect related data points more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is frequent repetition of basic verbs like 'expended' and 'shows'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'most demanded item' or 'move to just below'. While the meaning is clear, the range is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations. To reach a higher band, focus on using a broader range of synonyms for 'spending' and 'increasing/decreasing' to avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The given bar chat illustrate'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'it shows just above than 15 percent'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall clarity of the writing. Focusing on basic sentence structure and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the score.

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