Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-10

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 Flow Charts illustrates the information about

How the country families in one generation

Spend their weekly income in year 1968 and 2018

overall, it can be considered as the chart gives 2 different colour black for 1969 and grey for 2018 . in 1968 family highest expenditure on food are 35% however least on fuel and power 5to10%

further more Housing and leisure, Transport, personal goods are similar in 1968 are (5 to 10).

On the other Hand. In 2018 family have

great expenditure on leisure around (20 to 25%)

and lowest on fuel and power and personal good, clothing and

(0 to 5)% However food and Housings transport

are similar around (10 to 20)%.

I Summary; in Both family expenditure

on family to their weekly income. Household good

became same. (5 to 10)

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While the student attempts to identify some main features, the reporting is fragmented and lacks a clear, analytical overview. The data is presented in a disjointed manner, and there is a lack of meaningful comparison between the two years. Several figures are presented as ranges (e.g., 5 to 10%), which is not an accurate reflection of the specific data points provided in the chart. The response lacks the depth required to fully address the task, resulting in an underdeveloped summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The essay lacks a logical structure. The paragraphing is erratic, and the use of cohesive devices is minimal and often misused (e.g., 'On the other Hand' is used incorrectly to introduce a new paragraph). There is no clear progression of ideas, and the text feels like a collection of isolated sentences rather than a cohesive report. The lack of transition words makes it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between 1968 and 2018. The overall arrangement is disjointed, which hinders the flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'expenditure' and 'similar', and there are frequent errors in word choice and phrasing (e.g., 'The Flow Charts illustrates' instead of 'The chart illustrates'). The student struggles to use precise terminology to describe trends or data points. There is no evidence of less common lexical items, and the errors in basic vocabulary usage occasionally impede the clarity of the information being presented.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('The Flow Charts illustrates'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are incomplete or lack proper punctuation, making the text difficult to read. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the simple sentences used are often riddled with errors. Punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with the use of parentheses and capitalization. These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader and demonstrate a very limited control of grammar.

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

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