Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-29

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 illustrates the data about expenditure from the weekly income of families in a country in 1968 and 2018.

As an overall trend, highest expenditure in 1968 was on food while on leisure in 2018. it was exactly 35% in 1968 and about 23% in 2018 from their weekly income.

As is observed lowest spending was on fuel and power and its just higher than 5%in 1968 and just lesser than 5%in 2018.

At the glance of the graph reveals that expenditure only on housing and transport were higher in 2018, other than leisure and its approximately 19% and 14% respectively in 2018 while fuel,clothing,personal expenditure were higher in 1968.its aproximately,6%,10%,8% respectively.

As can be seen spending on household were exactly same in both years and it was 8%.

overall, changes of expenditure was quite similar on both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified some main features, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks sufficient detail to fully cover the data provided. For instance, the comparison between categories is fragmented, and the summary of trends could be more effectively integrated. To improve, ensure you provide a more comprehensive overview of the data, including more specific comparisons between the two years, and ensure the response meets the length requirement to allow for full development of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into short paragraphs, which is a good start. However, the logical progression is hindered by the lack of cohesive devices. Transitions between sentences are often abrupt, and the use of linking words is minimal. For example, phrases like 'At the glance of the graph' are grammatically awkward and do not effectively guide the reader. To improve, use a wider range of cohesive devices such as 'in contrast,' 'furthermore,' or 'conversely' to connect your ideas more fluidly and create a clearer structure throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You rely on simple descriptors like 'higher' and 'lower' throughout the text. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'At the glance of the graph' instead of 'A glance at the graph.' To achieve a higher band score, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to data analysis, such as 'fluctuated,' 'remained stable,' 'accounted for,' or 'experienced a significant increase.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles (e.g., 'on leisure' instead of 'on leisure activities'), incorrect punctuation, and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'changes of expenditure was'). The sentence structure is often fragmented, which affects readability. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct use of articles, and proofreading for small errors like missing verbs or incorrect prepositions that occur throughout your writing.

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