Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-31

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 8.0)

The horizontal bar graph illustrates the average weekly spending by families on eight different categories in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, it is evident that families spent much less money on food in 2018 than in 1968. However, spending on housing, transport and leisure increased. Food was the biggest expense in 1968, while leisure became the largest category in 2018.

In 1968, families spent about 35% of their weekly income on food, which was much higher than any other category. Housing and clothing and footwear each accounted for around 10%. Spending on transport, household good and personal goods was between 7% and 9%, While fuel and power was the lowest at about 6%.

By 2018, spending on food had fallen to around 17%. In contrast, leisure increased to just over20%, becoming the highest category. Housing also rose to 19%, and transport increased to around 14%. On the other hand, spending on clothing and foot ware, fuel and power and personal gods decreased to around 5%, 4% and 4%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response effectively addresses the task by identifying the main trends and making relevant comparisons between the two years. You have successfully highlighted the shift in spending priorities, such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure and housing costs. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, ensure that the percentages mentioned align precisely with the visual data provided. Overall, the response is well-focused and covers all key features of the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information effectively. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you have used a range of cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'On the other hand', and 'while' to link your points. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the data from 1968 and 2018. The flow of information is easy to follow, and the structure supports the reader's understanding of the changes over time.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, including terms like 'accounted for', 'expenditure', and 'declined'. There are a few minor spelling errors, such as 'foot ware' instead of 'footwear' and 'gods' instead of 'goods', which slightly detract from the precision of the writing. However, the vocabulary is generally appropriate for an academic report. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increased' and 'decreased' to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar is generally strong. There is a minor punctuation error with the capitalization of 'While' in the middle of a sentence, and a missing space in 'over20%'. Despite these small slips, the grammar does not impede communication, and the majority of your sentences are accurate. You have successfully used comparative structures, which are essential for this type of task.

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