Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-02

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 7.5)

The bar graph represents the percentage of weekly income spent by families in the years 1968 and 2018. The expenditures are categorized in order of food, housing, fuel and power, clothing and footware, household goods, personal goods, transport, and leisure.

Overall, families in 1968 spent a substantial amount on food, fuel and power, clothing and footware, and personal goods. On the other hand, in 2018 families spent more on housing, transport, and leisure.

In 1968, 35% of the weekly income was spent on food, 15% on clothing and footware, just over 5% on fuel and power, and approximately 7% on personal goods. However, in 2018 we can see that people shifted to spend their weekly income on making their lives more comfortable by spending a little less than 20% on housing, 14% on transport, and a staggering 22% on leisure. Comparatively, spending on household goods was equal in both years.

In conclusion, there is a drastic variation in spending for the two different eras.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all categories mentioned in the chart and made relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. However, the response could be improved by including more specific data points for all categories. For instance, you mention 'fuel and power' and 'household goods' but do not provide the specific percentages for these in your body paragraphs, which would have strengthened your analysis. Overall, you have addressed the task requirements well by selecting and reporting the key features of the data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'On the other hand', 'However', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader through the information. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from a general overview to specific details. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between sentences is even smoother and avoid slightly repetitive sentence structures when introducing data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'substantial amount', 'staggering', and 'drastic variation' show an attempt to use more sophisticated language. There is a minor spelling error ('footware' should be 'footwear'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise academic collocations related to data description (e.g., 'witnessed a significant decline', 'remained relatively stable') would elevate your score. The current range is functional but lacks the flexibility and precision required for the highest bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free, which allows for easy communication. There are no major grammatical errors that impede understanding. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice constructions (e.g., 'It can be observed that...') or more varied subordinate clauses. Your control over punctuation is good, and the overall accuracy is high, which supports a solid band score in this criterion.

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