Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-12

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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates how families in a country spent their weekly income from 1968 to 2018.

Overall, most of the weekly income was spent on food and leisure activities. While personal goods, fuel and power gained the least amount of weekly income over the years.

In 1968, at least 35% of the weekly income was spent on food, gaining the highest percentage until 2018. While the other 10% of the weekly income was spent in housing, clothing and footwear. Additionally, leisure, transport, personal and household goods, and fuel gained more than 5%.

In 2018, more than 20% of weekly income was spent on leisurely activities. Followed by housing, food and transport which has more than 10 to 15% of the weekly income. While clothing, foot ware, fuel, power, and personal goods are below 5% of the weekly income. And the household goods gained more than 5% of weekly income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, but the analysis is somewhat inaccurate. For example, you state that food was the highest percentage until 2018, but the chart shows leisure became the highest category in 2018. Additionally, the description of the data is imprecise; you mention 'the other 10%' for housing and clothing, which does not accurately reflect the visual data provided. To improve, ensure you carefully read the specific percentages for each category and avoid vague quantifiers. While you identify the main trends, the lack of precision in reporting the figures prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally' and 'While' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas within the paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the grouping of categories feels slightly disjointed. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence flows naturally into the next to create a more cohesive narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'illustrates', 'weekly income', and 'leisurely activities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'gained the least amount of weekly income' (which is not the standard way to describe expenditure) and 'foot ware' (which should be 'footwear'). The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise terms for describing trends and financial data would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'gaining the highest percentage until 2018' (which is a fragment) and 'has more than 10 to 15%' (which should be 'accounted for between 10% and 15%'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the clarity of your report. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentences are complete and grammatically sound.

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

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