Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The chart illustrates information about how families in a particular country spent their weekly income in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, food accounted for the largest proportion of household expenditure in 1968, whereas leisure became the biggest spending category in 2018. By contrast, fuel and power were the lowest spending category throughout the period.

Looking first at household expenditure in 1968, food accounted for the largest share, at 30%. This was considerably higher than the figures for housing and clothing and footwear, which stood at approximately 10% each. By contrast, fuel and power represented the smallest proportion, at just over 5%. The remaining categories accounted for relatively similar shares of household spending.

This was followed by housing, which represented approximately 19% of total expenditure. In comparison, food accounted for a considerably smaller proportion than in 1968, falling from 30% to around 16%. Spending on transport also increased, while the figures for fuel and power remained relatively low.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the data well, identifying the shift from food to leisure as the primary spending categories. You successfully highlight the key trends and make relevant comparisons between the two years. However, the second paragraph is slightly underdeveloped; while you mention housing and food, you omit specific data points for other categories in 2018, such as transport or clothing, which would have provided a more comprehensive overview. To reach a higher band, ensure that all significant trends are supported by data and that the comparison between the two years is balanced throughout the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'By contrast', 'Looking first at', and 'In comparison' to guide the reader through the data. The progression of ideas is generally smooth. However, the transition between the 1968 data and the 2018 data in the final paragraph is slightly abrupt. The paragraph starts with 'This was followed by housing', which lacks a clear link to the 2018 context, making the shift in time period feel a bit disjointed. Improving the signposting between years would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'accounted for the largest proportion', 'household expenditure', and 'represented the smallest proportion' are used accurately and appropriately for an academic report. There is some repetition of the word 'proportion' and 'spending'. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms such as 'allocation', 'outlay', or 'expenditure patterns'. The vocabulary is precise enough to communicate the trends without ambiguity, meeting the requirements for a solid band 6 or 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is good. For example, the use of subordinate clauses like 'whereas leisure became the biggest spending category' shows good grammatical awareness. There are no significant errors that impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could experiment with more sophisticated structures, such as using participle phrases (e.g., 'Falling from 30%, food expenditure reached...') to increase the complexity and flow of your sentences.

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