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 given bar graph illustrates the average money spent by families in a country by the percentage of their weekly income from year 1968 to 2018.
Overall, there are eight different aspects where the money is money is spent which are food, housing, transport among others . People started
spending less on food compared to 1968 and in 2018 families prefer to spend more money on leisure activities.
In 1968, 35% of the weekly income was spent on food which is highest among the other expenditures which experienced a sharp decline to approximately 17% of income by 2018. Exactly 10% of money was spent on housing in 1968 which doubled up to almost 20% in 2018. Over 10% of the weekly income was spent on fuel and power and it fell below 10% by 2018.
10% of income was spent on clothing and shoes in 1968 and went down by 5% in 2018. Money spent on household goods remained the same. Around 8-9% of the income was spent on personal goods in 1968 and in 2018 it came below 5%. More money was spent on transport and leisure in 2018 compared to 1968.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data well, identifying key trends such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in housing costs. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped; while it mentions food and leisure, it could be more comprehensive by highlighting the most significant shifts across all categories. The data is generally accurate, though some figures are described in vague terms (e.g., 'among others'). To reach a higher band, ensure that all major trends are clearly contrasted and that the overview provides a more holistic summary of the most striking changes between the two years.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group information by category or trend. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In 1968' and 'by 2018', which help the reader follow the timeline. However, the transition between sentences can occasionally feel mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more varied. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the specific data points. Overall, the information flows well, and the progression of ideas is clear throughout the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends and percentages clearly. There are some repetitive phrases, such as 'money was spent on', which limits the range. While the student successfully uses terms like 'sharp decline' and 'expenditures', there is a lack of more sophisticated or varied collocations. Some minor errors in word choice occur, such as 'money is money is spent', which is a repetition error. To improve, the student should aim for a wider variety of verbs and nouns to describe statistical changes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and easy to follow, though there are occasional grammatical slips, such as 'which is highest among the other expenditures' (should be 'the highest'). Punctuation is generally correct, and the errors present do not impede communication. The student demonstrates a good grasp of basic sentence construction, but the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. Increasing the use of varied subordinate clauses would help elevate the score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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