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 that the total weekly expenditure on 8 goods of families in one country in the year 1968 and 2018. Units are measured in percentage.

Overall, food and leisure recorded the highest amount of spending on goods. Conversely, Fuel and power, household goods and personal goods have lowest percentage. Meanwhile, Housing and transport has slight decline than the other items.

In 2018, food, clothing & footware goods and personal goods are facing decline in almost half of price in the given period (about 35% to 17%, 10% to 5% and 8% to 4% respectively). Housing, leisure and transport showing double growth from 1968 to 2018 (approximately 10% to 18%, 9% to 22% and 8% to 14% accordingly)

On the other hand, fuel and power has sight downfall from 6% to 4% and household goods are on the same level in both years. All the goods are measured by percentage of weekly income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure spending. However, the analysis is hampered by inaccuracies in data interpretation. For example, you state that housing and transport showed 'double growth,' but the data shows housing increased from 10% to 18%, which is not a doubling. Additionally, the statement that household goods are 'on the same level' is factually incorrect based on the chart, which shows a slight decrease. The overview is present but lacks precision, and some data points are misreported, which prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally confusing. For instance, the use of 'Meanwhile' to introduce a sentence about housing and transport does not logically connect to the previous sentence about fuel and household goods. Furthermore, the referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas between the overview and the body paragraphs is disjointed. Improving the use of linking words such as 'In contrast' or 'Furthermore' would help create a smoother flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. There are several inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'facing decline in almost half of price' and 'sight downfall,' which are not natural collocations. You rely on basic descriptors like 'highest amount' and 'lowest percentage.' To improve, you should focus on using more precise terminology for describing trends, such as 'expenditure,' 'proportion,' 'fluctuated,' or 'remained stable.' Spelling errors, such as 'footware' instead of 'footwear,' also detract from the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Housing and transport has slight decline'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'are measured by percentage of weekly income'). The sentence structure is often repetitive, and the lack of articles (e.g., 'in 8 goods') makes the writing feel less professional. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your accuracy.

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