Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-28

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 7.0)

The bar chart compares information about the weekly income spent by families in a country in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, it is clear that food recorded the highest figures throughout the period for weekly expenditure, Whereas personal goods remained the least significant in both years. Additionally, leisure accounted for the second highest figure of weekly income spent by the families.

Looking first at food, families spent their 35% income in 1968 while, it was almost half in 2018 with 17%. By comparison, leisure activities showed 9% in 1968, which was increased by 23% in 2018. Consequently, Household goods, remained same in both years with 8%.

Turning to transport, families spent their 7% of weekly income in 1968, whereas it was doubled in 2018 with 14%. Fuel and power and personal goods remained least significant in 2018 with only 4%. Moreover, housing experienced substantial growth, which was 10% in 1968 and reached at 19% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main features and provided a clear overview of the trends. You covered all categories mentioned in the chart and made relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. However, there is a slight inaccuracy in your analysis: you stated that leisure activities 'increased by 23%', whereas the data shows an increase of 14 percentage points (from 9% to 23%). Additionally, you mentioned that household goods 'remained same', but the chart indicates a slight change from 8% to 7%. Precision in reporting data is crucial for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You used cohesive devices such as 'Looking first at', 'By comparison', and 'Turning to' to guide the reader through the data. However, the transition between sentences can sometimes feel a bit mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. To improve, ensure that your linking words are used more naturally to connect the data points rather than just listing them.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'expenditure', 'significant', and 'substantial growth'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'families spent their 35% income' (should be 'spent 35% of their income') and 'reached at 19%' (should be 'reached 19%'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise reporting verbs or varied descriptors for trends would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'families spent their 35% income' and 'it was almost half in 2018 with 17%'. The phrase 'which was increased by 23%' is also grammatically awkward. Punctuation is generally fine, but there are some unnecessary commas, such as in 'while, it was'. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions will significantly improve your accuracy.

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