Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-04
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 5.5)
The bar chart illustrates the percentages of income spent on eight different resources by families in a country per week in 1968 and 2018. Overall, the highest percentage of income was spent in 1968 except transportation and leisure activities on which highly spent in 2018. The significant amount spent on food followed by leisure activities. The lowest percentage spent on fuel and power, clothing and software, and personal good. Household activities is the only one on which equal amount was spent in both years.
In detail, the highest percentage of money was spent on food at 35% in 1968 higher than nearly 17% in 2018. This was followed by leisure activities on which about 23% was spent in 2018 higher than nearly 9% in 1968. Transport and housing spending ranked third at about 14% and 19% were spent in 2018 respectively and nearly 8% and 10% spent in 1968 respectively. Money spent on transport was higher in 2018 compared with housing on which more spent in 1968.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying key trends such as the decline in food spending and the rise in leisure. However, the overview is slightly confusing; for instance, the claim that 'the highest percentage of income was spent in 1968 except transportation and leisure' is unclear and inaccurate based on the data. Additionally, the report lacks a comprehensive comparison of all categories, and some data points are presented in a way that is difficult to follow. To improve, ensure the overview clearly highlights the most significant shifts and group data logically rather than listing individual figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into two paragraphs, which is appropriate for a short report. There is a logical progression from a general overview to specific details. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the transition 'In detail,' which feels abrupt. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when comparing the two years. The flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to better connect the comparisons between 1968 and 2018, rather than relying on simple sentence structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision. You use basic terms like 'resources' and 'personal good' (likely meaning 'personal goods'), which are slightly inaccurate in this context. There is also some repetition of the word 'spent' throughout the text. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it does not demonstrate the flexibility or sophistication required for a higher band score. Incorporating more precise terminology related to financial data, such as 'expenditure,' 'allocated to,' or 'proportion,' would enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder clarity. For example, 'on which highly spent in 2018' is grammatically incorrect, as is 'more spent in 1968.' There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on sentence construction and ensuring that verbs are correctly conjugated will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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