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 percentage of weekly household income that families in a country spent on various categories in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, there are eight different expenditures where the money is spent which are food, housing, transport among others. Families spent considerably less on food in 2018 than in 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 was the 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 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

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons. You successfully identified the significant shift in food expenditure and the rise in housing costs. However, the overview is slightly weak; while you mention leisure, you could have provided a more comprehensive summary of the most significant trends (e.g., the overall shift from necessities to discretionary spending). Additionally, some data points are described vaguely, such as 'more money was spent on transport and leisure,' without specifying the degree of change. To reach a higher band, ensure all key trends are supported by specific data from the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. For instance, the transition between the second and third body paragraphs is abrupt. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures to present data, which limits the flow. Using a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'In contrast,' 'Conversely,' 'Furthermore') would improve the logical progression and make the relationship between the data points clearer.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'expenditures,' 'sharp decline,' and 'discretionary.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is some repetition of basic phrasing like 'money was spent on.' To improve, try to vary your verbs and nouns to describe trends more precisely. For example, instead of saying 'money spent... remained the same,' you could use 'expenditure on household goods remained stable.' The vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, but lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While most sentences are clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'there are eight different expenditures where the money is spent which are food, housing, transport among others,' which is slightly clunky. You also have minor issues with preposition usage and article placement. The majority of your sentences are error-free, but the range of complex structures is limited. To improve, focus on using more varied subordinating conjunctions and relative clauses to connect your ideas more fluidly.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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