Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Here, the below charts illustrate the information about families in one country spent weekly income on eight different sources in two different year.

Overall, the charts shows the Differents sources .the highest money spent by families on food and the lowest money spend on fuel and power

At first, many family used their income on food and it's highest in 1068 to compare 2018. After that the housing is a second highest sources which is spend by families in 2018. In 1968, the families spend their less money on housing.

After that, the lowest sources spend by families is fuel and power. In both years, people spend almost similar on a two different years. Then, clothing and footware was mostly prefered by people in 1968. And in 2018 it was almost half is a 5 percent of week and other side families mostly spent on leisure activity in 2018 it was almost 22 percent. Personal goods and household goods are almost same in both year. After that people prefer spend their money on a transport in 2018 it was almost 14 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the task by summarizing the main features of the charts. However, the analysis is inconsistent and lacks clarity. While you identify some trends, such as food being the highest expenditure in 1968, the description of the data is often inaccurate or confusing (e.g., '1068' instead of 1968, and vague references like 'almost similar'). The comparison between the two years is not fully developed, and the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, such as the shift from food to housing or the rise in leisure spending. To improve, ensure you accurately report the figures and focus on the most striking differences and similarities rather than listing individual data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is weak. The use of cohesive devices is repetitive and sometimes mechanical, such as the frequent use of 'After that' to start sentences. Referencing is often unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between 1968 and 2018. The paragraphing is present but does not effectively group related ideas, which hinders the overall progression of the report. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus, such as one for trends in 1968 and another for 2018 or for specific categories.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'money spent' and 'sources' throughout the text. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'lowest sources spend' and 'mostly prefered'. Some terms are used incorrectly, such as '1068' (a typo) and '5 percent of week'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to data description, such as 'expenditure', 'proportion', 'allocated to', and 'fluctuated'. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you avoid repeating the same phrases and make your writing more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the charts shows'), incorrect verb tenses, and awkward sentence structures (e.g., 'it's highest in 1068 to compare 2018'). The use of articles and prepositions is also inconsistent. While there is an attempt to use complex sentences, they are often faulty, which limits the range of structures demonstrated. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct tense usage for past data, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles or incorrect pluralization.

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

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