Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The bar graph illustrates the data of a families manage their expenses on weekly basis in a country during 1968 to 2018.
Overall, the information is about the average weekly spending of the families in 8 different expenditures(Food, Housing, Fuel and power, clothing and footwear, household goods, personal goods, transport and leisure) in various years.
Initially, in 1968 the highest percentage of weekly income have been invested on food, with a mark of 35%. Furthermore, during 2018 the huge amount was kept spending on leisure by the families of the country nearly 25%. The families have spend very less percentage of their weekly income on their other needs.
Moreover, most of the weekly income was spend by the families in various years(1968, 2018) was in between 5 to 10% only. In contrast, the families have least spent on fuel and power with less then 5% in year of 2018.
To conclude, the average spending of the country was about 10% percent in their weekly incomes on their essential requirements.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to address the task but fails to provide a clear, accurate overview or a meaningful comparison of the data. While it identifies some figures, the selection of information is inconsistent and lacks analytical depth. For instance, the statement that 'most of the weekly income was spend... in between 5 to 10%' is inaccurate and does not reflect the provided chart. Furthermore, the conclusion is vague and does not effectively summarize the main trends. To improve, you must focus on identifying the most significant changes (e.g., the dramatic drop in food expenditure versus the rise in leisure) rather than listing isolated, sometimes incorrect, percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. While cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'In contrast' are used, they are often applied incorrectly or do not logically connect the ideas. For example, the transition to the final paragraph does not follow from the previous points, and the overall structure feels disjointed. Referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the two years. Improving the logical flow between sentences and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, often relying on basic phrasing. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'data of a families manage their expenses' and 'kept spending on leisure'. The use of 'invested on food' is also imprecise in this context. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'expenditure', 'proportion', 'fluctuated', or 'remained stable', and ensure that your word choices are grammatically appropriate for the context of a report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with verb tense consistency (e.g., 'have been invested', 'have spend', 'was spend'), subject-verb agreement, and preposition usage. Sentence structures are generally simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'with less then 5% in year of 2018'. To improve, focus on mastering basic tense structures and ensuring that your subjects and verbs agree. Proofreading for common errors like 'then' versus 'than' and ensuring consistent past tense usage for historical data is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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