Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-07

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 shows the evaluation about how weekly income is spend by the families in a country at year 1968 and in 2018.

An average percentage of weekly spending are in things like transport, housing and many more. The most spending in 1968 is done by a food and in 2018 is a leisure.

In 1968, the most spending is on food by 35% and least in fuel and power by 7%. The housing, clothing and footware has same amount of spending that is 10%. The transport, household and personal goods also does equally expanding by 8%. In 2018, highest percentage is on leisure which is 23% and lowest spend on fuel, power and personal good by 8%. The lay out of food and housing is 17% and 19% respectively. While another moderate spend is on transport which is 14%. The household goods has alike spending in both year 1968 and 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying the shift from food to leisure as the primary spending categories. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention specific percentages, the comparison between the two years is limited. For example, you state that household goods had 'alike spending' in both years, but you do not elaborate on the significant changes in other categories like clothing or fuel. To reach a higher band, ensure you group data more effectively to highlight trends rather than just listing figures. The overview is present but could be more analytical regarding the overall shift in consumer behavior.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure for a Task 1 response. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. Phrases like 'The lay out of food' and 'While another moderate spend' are used to transition between ideas, but they do not always flow naturally. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as when you mention 'many more' without specifying what those categories are. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic verbs like 'is' and 'spend' repeatedly. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'evaluation about how weekly income is spend' (should be 'spending') and 'does equally expanding' (which is grammatically and lexically incorrect). To improve, try to use a wider range of synonyms for 'spending' and 'percentage' and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate for a formal report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder clarity. Examples include 'An average percentage of weekly spending are in things' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'The most spending in 1968 is done by a food' (incorrect preposition and article usage). Additionally, there are issues with tense consistency and word forms, such as 'footware' (spelling) and 'alike spending'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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