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 compares information about the average of weekly spending income by families in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, expenditure on the food recorded at the top of the graph in 1968 while, the lowest percentage was on the fuel and personal goods sectors. Moreover, in 2018, family spent most of the income on doing a leisure activity.

In 1968, housing and clothing and footware these two categories were shared same proportion and it was accounted at 10%. Families mostly spent their weekly income in the particular food region due to, it made up greatest percentage and it stood at 30%. Other three areas were almost at the same numbers represented under 8% to 9%. However, these facilities were household goods, personal goods and transport. Families spent around 9% of their money on a leisure activity. The least numbers in the region it was the fuel and power which was accounted at nearly 6%.

In 2018, the expenditure on a leisure activity was increased in a drastic way and reached at around 22%. Housing and transport also shows an increment on spending weekly money and stood at 19% and 14% respectively. In the food sector, it was significant changes in declined side these made up 17%. Household goods almost remained at the same level. Clothing and footware also dropped the proportion and it was 5%. Fuel and power and personal goods fell gradually and recorded at approximately 4% and 3% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all key features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. You successfully identified the major shifts, such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure spending. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; you stated that leisure was the highest spending category in 2018, which is correct, but your summary of 1968 mentioned fuel and personal goods as the lowest, whereas the chart shows personal goods and household goods were also low. To improve, ensure your overview captures the most significant trends rather than listing specific data points, and double-check your data interpretation to ensure complete accuracy.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'However', and 'In 1968', which help the flow. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'these made up 17%' or 'it was significant changes in declined side'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making the progression of ideas feel slightly disjointed at times. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that your sentences flow naturally into one another without relying on repetitive structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'expenditure', 'proportion', and 'increment'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'recorded at the top of the graph', 'doing a leisure activity', and 'declined side'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on learning common collocations related to data description, such as 'accounted for the largest share' or 'experienced a significant decline', rather than translating directly from your native language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'family spent most of the income' (missing article), 'these two categories were shared same proportion' (incorrect passive voice), and 'it was significant changes in declined side' (incorrect sentence structure). While these errors rarely impede the overall meaning, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately to improve your control over grammar.

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

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