Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-08

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 4.0)

the given bar-graph information about how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.

it's a given picture largest time spending by families in a food this is a consumed food .then next step lowest part of given picture personal goods.

it was given picture about a 1968 and 2018 average weekly spend time by family .food was largest consumed it's was 35% and 2018 this line was low point it was 18%. then next step house was used a 10% in a 1968 and 2018 was largest point it was a 18% and fuel and power 8% and 3%. then next step was clothing and foot-ware it's was a first in 5% and another time was largest 10% gain this time .

it's was given next step household good it's was same in both time 9% in 1968 and 2018 time .

personal goods it was in 1968 was a 3%and 2018 time was largest in another it's was a 7% .

then next step transport was lowest in a 1968 time it's was a 7% and another one is 13% . and leisure was in 1968 and 2018 time first time lowest this time 8% and another one is 23% it was all weekly income present

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to address the task by reporting data from the chart, but it fails to provide a clear overview or a logical summary of the main trends. While some data points are mentioned, the information is presented in a fragmented, list-like manner rather than as a cohesive report. The comparison between 1968 and 2018 is present but lacks analytical depth, and the lack of a clear introduction or conclusion makes it difficult to follow the main features. The response is essentially a series of disjointed observations rather than a structured summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response lacks logical organization. There is no clear paragraph structure, and the progression of ideas is disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is minimal and often inaccurate (e.g., 'then next step', 'another time was largest'). The referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the two years. The text reads as a collection of isolated sentences rather than a coherent piece of writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms and struggles to use appropriate terminology for describing data (e.g., 'largest consumed', 'another time was largest'). There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'weekly spend time' instead of 'weekly expenditure'. The lack of variety and the misuse of basic terms significantly hinder the clarity of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammatical control is weak, with frequent errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and verb tense. Many sentences are fragmented or lack a clear subject-verb relationship, such as 'it's was a first in 5%'. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the errors in basic grammar (e.g., 'it's was' used repeatedly) are frequent and often impede the reader's understanding of the data being presented.

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

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