Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-06

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 6.5)

The given illustration displays information about the changes seen regarding how families went about spending their weekly income over a period of 50 years.

In 1968, it is evident that food was a great priority when it came to spending, as it occupied 35% of families' weekly income. However, in 2018, this number halves, and only about 17% of weekly income is dedicated to meals. Equal attention was given to both housing, clothing and footwear in 1968, as a total of 20% of their income was used for such needs. On the other hand, in 2018, nearly 20% was dedicated to housing alone whereas less was spent on clothes and attire.

Other statistics regarding household goods, personal goods, transport and leisure all saw similar care in 1968. On the contrary, five decades later, the greatest percentage of families weekly expenditure was dedicated to leisure as opposed to food, occupying about 22%. Spending on transport saw a great increase as well, whereas personal goods saw a fall. However, the amount spent on household goods remained constant throughout the years at approximately 8%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You highlighted the significant shift in food expenditure and the rise in leisure spending, which are key features of the chart. However, the report lacks a clear summary of the 'Fuel and Power' category, which is a notable omission. Additionally, some comparisons are slightly vague; for instance, stating that 'less was spent on clothes and attire' could be improved by referencing the specific data points to provide a more precise comparison. Overall, you have addressed the task well, but including more specific data points for all categories would strengthen the analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction and separate paragraphs for the body. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, moving from the 1968 data to the 2018 comparisons. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'On the other hand', and 'On the contrary' to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is slightly abrupt. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus and that cohesive devices are used to connect sentences more fluidly rather than just starting them. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'weekly expenditure', 'remained constant', and 'greatest percentage' are used effectively. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'similar care' when referring to statistics, which is not a standard collocation in this context. You also use 'attire' as a synonym for clothing, which is acceptable but slightly less precise in a statistical report. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'plateaued', or 'accounted for'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most sentences are clear and easy to follow. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'this number halves' (should be 'halved' to maintain past tense consistency) and 'families weekly expenditure' (missing an apostrophe: 'families' weekly'). Despite these minor errors, your control of grammar is generally good, and the meaning is never obscured. To improve, ensure consistent tense usage when describing historical data and pay closer attention to punctuation, specifically possessive apostrophes.

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