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 chart below illustras

The chart illustrates information about how families

in one country spent their weekly income in the periods

in 1968 and in 2018.

In terms of food the average weekly spending

was more in 1968 as compared to 2018

In terms of food there has been a drastic decline

during the years and these has been increased spending

on housing and leisure.

Furthermore, these household goods has remained relatively

stable at 8% from 1968 to 2018. Moreover,

Personal goods has declined from 8% in 1968

to 4% in 2018 in addition to that clothing and

footwear has gone down from 10% in 1968 to 5%

in 2018.

Moreover, the average weekly income spend on

food has plummeted from 35% in 1968 to

an astonishing 17%. furthermore, housing has

seen a drastic increase since 1968 which

was at 10% is now 19% in 2018, same goes

for the income spend on leisure

which was at 9% in 1968 has increased to

23% in 2018. In addition to that transport

has increased since 1968 which was at 8% is

now 14% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. You have successfully identified the key trends, such as the decline in food spending and the increase in leisure and housing costs. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary paragraph that synthesizes the most significant changes. While you have included data, the structure is somewhat fragmented, with information about the same categories appearing in different paragraphs. To improve, ensure you group related data more logically and provide a concise summary of the overall trends in the introduction or a dedicated overview paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by the repetitive nature of the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'furthermore' and 'moreover', but they are sometimes used mechanically or placed awkwardly. The paragraphing is inconsistent; for example, the information about food is split across three different sections, which disrupts the reader's ability to follow the comparison easily. To improve, try to group all information related to a specific category or trend together and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'plummeted', 'drastic decline', and 'stable'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'income spend' instead of 'income spent' or 'expenditure'. There are also minor errors in word forms, such as 'illustras' in the opening line. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Focusing on using more accurate collocations and ensuring correct word forms will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'these household goods has remained' (should be 'have remained') and 'clothing and footwear has gone' (should be 'have gone'). Additionally, there are punctuation errors and run-on sentences, particularly in the final paragraph where clauses are joined incorrectly. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of basic grammatical rules regarding pluralization and verb agreement.

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