Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates data of families expenditure weekly in a certain country in the year 1968 and 2018.

Overall, the most spent item was food in 1968 and the least was fuel and power, whereas the biggest spent item in 2018 was leisure.

Firstly, food was the largest spent item in 1968, with 35% of weekly income but it fell significantly to almost 17% in 2018. Housing had 10% of weekly spent item in 1968, which increased to approximately 18% in 2018. Clothing and footware was 10% also in the 1968, although it fell to half during 2018. While, household goods remained about 7.5% during the years.

Moreover, leisure had about 9% weekly spenditure during 1968 but saw a dramatic change in 2018 and reached almost 25%. Transport was about 7% in 1968, and saw a rise in 2018, at 14%. Fuel and power was almost 6% but it declined slightly and reached about 4% in 2018. Personal goods was approximately 8% in the beginning but fell to almost half in the ending year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the chart, including the main trends and specific data points for both years. You successfully identified the most significant changes, such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure spending. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; you stated that the least spent item in 1968 was 'fuel and power', but the chart shows 'leisure' was lower. Additionally, the description of 'household goods' as remaining at 7.5% is a good observation, but ensure your overview captures the most prominent shifts more precisely to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on different categories. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'whereas' helps guide the reader through the data. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the sentence structure in the body paragraphs could be more varied to improve the flow. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between the overview and the supporting details could be tightened to ensure a more cohesive narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'expenditure', 'significantly', and 'dramatic change'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'biggest spent item' (should be 'largest category of expenditure') and 'spenditure' (which is not standard English). The repetition of 'item' and 'spent' limits the sophistication of your writing. To improve, focus on using more precise nouns and verbs to describe trends, such as 'proportion', 'allocation', or 'fluctuated'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'illustrates data of families expenditure' (should be 'illustrates data on family expenditure') and 'Clothing and footware was' (subject-verb agreement error). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and preposition errors throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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