Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The bar chart illustrates the data regarding how households in one country spent their weekly expenditure from 1968 to 2018, while unit measured in proportion.
Overall, it is clear that food was rose significantly through out the period, while leisure time was second highest over the time. Similarly, housing was third of major escalate over the end of the period.
In 1968, the food was surge increased at 35%, whereas housing, clothing and footwear remained unchanged at 10% respectively. Furthermore, fuel and power was lowest one at 6% by the end of the period. Moreover, household goods, personal goods and transport was bit rise approximately 8%. In the same way, leisure was escalate around 2% throughout the end of the period.
In 2018, leisured expanded almost 22%, by comparing the other was decreased rapidly. However, personal good, and fuel power was highlight the most diminished over the end of the period. Likewise, clothing and footwear was increased 2%. Correspondingly, the transport was second highest trend and went up at 14%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response attempts to summarise the main features of the chart, but the information provided is often inaccurate or contradictory. For example, you state that food spending 'rose significantly' throughout the period, whereas the chart shows a clear decline. Additionally, the data points mentioned (e.g., 'food was surge increased at 35%') are confusingly phrased and do not accurately reflect the trends shown in the visual. While you have identified some categories, the lack of precision in reporting the data and the misinterpretation of the trends prevent a clear overview. To improve, focus on accurately reading the chart and selecting the most significant changes rather than listing every category.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused. Phrases like 'In the same way' and 'Correspondingly' are used to connect ideas that do not logically follow one another. The progression of ideas is frequently interrupted by confusing sentence structures, making it difficult to follow the comparison between 1968 and 2018. To improve, ensure that linking words are used to show logical relationships, such as contrast or addition, and focus on creating a smoother flow between sentences.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is limited and often used incorrectly. There are frequent errors in word choice and word form, such as 'food was rose', 'was surge increased', and 'leisured expanded'. These errors often impede the reader's understanding of the data. You rely on basic vocabulary and struggle to use more precise terms to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'declined', or 'remained stable'. To improve, focus on learning the correct collocations for describing charts and graphs, and ensure you use the correct parts of speech (e.g., using verbs for trends rather than nouns).
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that often obscure the intended meaning. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'food was rose', 'leisure was escalate') and incorrect verb tenses. Sentence structures are often fragmented or poorly constructed, which makes the writing difficult to parse. While there is an attempt to use complex sentences, these are often grammatically incorrect. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that you are using the correct tense for describing past data.
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