Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-11

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 stipulated bar chart depicts the information about the how families in particular nation spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018

Overall,it is crystal clear that the highest proportion of weekly income spent on food in initial year

To embark with, the 35% of weekly income spent on food in 1968. Whereas in 2018 it was noticed at17%. A difference of 8% was accounted between the families spent their weekly income on housing in year 1968(10%) and 2018(18%). Moreover, on clothing and footware families spent their 10% of weekly income in 1968 and 5% in 2018.

Moving ahead, the percentum of weekly income spent by families on household goods during 1968 and 2008, the former stood at 7% and latter was also accounted at 7%. Further more, In 1968 and 2018, the weekly expenditure of families on transport was accounted at 7% and 14% respectively. Moreover, 8% of weekly income used on leisure during 1968, whereas, in 2018, it was stood at 22%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons between the two years. However, the overview is extremely brief and lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends, such as the shift from food to leisure spending. While the data points are generally accurate, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, listing figures rather than synthesizing the information effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview highlights the most striking changes (e.g., the reversal in spending priorities) rather than just stating that food was the highest in the initial year.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the structure is quite fragmented. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'To embark with' and 'Moving ahead,' which are not ideal for academic reporting. Additionally, the paragraphing is inconsistent; the overview is separated from the introduction, but the body paragraphs are not clearly delineated to separate different trends. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using more sophisticated linking phrases to connect the comparisons.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of awkward word choices or non-standard phrasing, such as 'percentum' (instead of percentage) and 'it was stood at' (grammatically incorrect). The range of vocabulary is limited, relying heavily on basic verbs like 'spent' and 'accounted at.' To improve, you should incorporate a wider range of synonyms for 'increase,' 'decrease,' and 'proportion,' and ensure that collocations are used accurately to convey information more professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'the how families in particular nation' (missing articles), 'the 35% of weekly income spent' (incorrect article usage), and 'it was stood at' (incorrect passive voice). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.