Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-01

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 chart provides information about families' weekly spending as well as the variation in percentages of spending in the year 1968 and 2018.

On an overview, the year 1968 showed approximately steady percentages except for the food where it did rise to the highest level among the others. However, in the year 2018, the percentage values showed rapid fluctuation across the different categories. Food accounted for highest spending in year 1968 while 2018 stood at below 20%. The other fields fuel and power, clothing and footwear, personal goods did accounted more in the year 1968 compared to 2018, nevertheless, the levels are quite low in lieu of the food.

On the contrary, leisure stood at above 20% in year 2018 and it was the peak value for 2018 while it stood at below 10% for the year 1968. The same pattern with different percentage values appeared for the transport. Nonetheless, the household goods showed identical percentages of below 10% for both the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying key trends such as the decline in food spending and the rise in leisure and transport. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the statement that 1968 showed 'approximately steady percentages' is inaccurate, as the data shows significant variation between categories. Furthermore, the report lacks a clear, data-driven summary of the most significant changes. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the two years could be more precise by including more specific data points to support the observations. The response meets the requirements but lacks the depth of analysis expected for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on different trends. Cohesive devices such as 'On the contrary', 'Nonetheless', and 'However' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of the second paragraph is a bit disjointed due to the grouping of categories. The referencing is mostly clear, but the flow could be improved by better integration of the comparative data between the two years.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends and comparisons. There are some instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'in lieu of the food' (which is used incorrectly here) and 'did accounted more'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors like 'highest level' and 'peak value'. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'proportion', 'expenditure', 'surpassed', or 'remained constant'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'did accounted more' and 'the year 2018 stood at below 20%'. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency. The use of prepositions and verb tenses needs more attention to ensure accuracy. While the student attempts to use complex structures, the control over these is inconsistent, which is characteristic of the Band 6 level.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.