Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-09

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 given chart depict the information about how families in one country spend their average weekly income in given two years i.e. 1968 and 2018

Firstly in 1968 , it had highest average spendings on food at 35 % , this figure dropped significantly in 2018 reaching at 17% . Similarly , spending on clothing and footware were higher at 10 , before falling at 5 % in 2018 . Also , they spent on personal goods 8% , this figure almost halfed by given periods . Fuel and power had lowest spending in 1968 at 6% this figue dropped by 2% by 2018

Moving on another hand , Leisure witnessed a dramtic increase in spending from 7% to 22% in given periods . Average spending on housing increased in given periods from 5% to 18% . Transport had a significant increase from 7% to 14% in given period . Whereas , average spending on household goods remained unchanged in given period at 8% .

In conclusion , primary need spending increased in given periods i.e. leisure and transport

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying the key trends in spending between 1968 and 2018. You successfully highlight the decline in food and clothing expenditure alongside the rise in leisure and housing costs. However, the conclusion is inaccurate; you state that 'primary need spending increased,' which contradicts the data showing that food (a primary need) decreased significantly. Additionally, the overview is missing a clear summary of the most significant shifts. To improve, ensure your summary accurately reflects the overall trends and avoid mislabeling categories as 'primary needs' when the data suggests otherwise.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly,' 'Similarly,' and 'Moving on.' However, some transitions are used awkwardly, such as 'Moving on another hand,' which is not a standard English phrase. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the lack of a cohesive overview at the beginning makes the structure feel slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, work on using a wider variety of linking words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'witnessed,' 'dramatic increase,' and 'remained unchanged.' However, there are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'footware' (footwear), 'halfed' (halved), and 'figue' (figure). Some phrasing is also unnatural, such as 'reaching at 17%.' While these errors do not impede communication, they limit your score. To improve, focus on the correct spelling of common academic terms and practice using collocations, such as 'spending fell to' rather than 'reaching at.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('the' chart), subject-verb agreement ('chart depict' instead of 'depicts'), and incorrect preposition usage ('spending on food at 35%' should be 'spending on food was 35%'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage to improve your accuracy.

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

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