Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13

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 bar graph display details related to the families in one state spent their weekly salary in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, food had the highest percentage in the year 1968 and it was having third highest in 2018 . Fuel and power had the lowest percentage of weekly earning spending by families in both years .

To begin with, food had the highest percentage accounted by 35% in year 1968 and it had the third highest percentage around 17% in 2018 . Furthermore, fuel and power had the lowest percentage of approximately 7% in 1968 and 3% in 2018 . In addition, housing goods and personal goods percentage is approximately same in both years except in 2018 personal goods had percentage of around 4% .

Housing and clothes and footware had the same percentage in year 1968 of 10% and housing had the second highest percentage after leisure in year 2018 of around 19% .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure spending. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks a clear, comprehensive comparison. For instance, while you mention food and fuel, you omit significant trends like the dramatic increase in leisure spending, which is a key feature of the data. The overview is present but could be more analytical by highlighting the most significant shifts rather than just listing individual categories. To improve, ensure you group data logically and focus on the most striking changes between the two years.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', 'In addition'). The logical progression between sentences is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as the transition between the discussion of housing and clothes. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the internal flow within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the relationship between the data points is clearly articulated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic descriptors like 'highest percentage' and 'lowest percentage' repeatedly. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'display details' instead of 'displays details' and 'housing goods' instead of 'household goods'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied reporting verbs and nouns, such as 'expenditure', 'proportion', 'allocated to', or 'witnessed a significant shift'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempts at complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'it was having third highest' and 'percentage accounted by 35%'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent (e.g., 'in year 1968' instead of 'in the year 1968'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of sentence construction and tense consistency.

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

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