Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-14

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 6.5)

The bar chart compares the proportion of weekly income spent by families in a particular country on eight different categories in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, there was a major shift in spending priorities over the 50-year period. While food accounted for the highest share of household expenditure in 1968, leisure became the largest spending category by 2018.

Housing and transport also experienced substantial increases. The percentage of income allocated to housing rose from 10% to 19%, while transport expenditure nearly doubled, climbing from 8% to 14%. On the other hand, spending on clothing and footwear, personal goods, and fuel and power fell, with each category decreasing to 5% or less by 2018. Meanwhile, the proportion spent on household goods remained virtually unchanged at around 8% across both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides a clear overview and identifies key trends, such as the shift from food to leisure as the primary expenditure. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the analysis. While the main features are selected, the under-length nature of the response means that some categories are grouped together too broadly, and the comparison of data points is not sufficiently detailed to fully satisfy the task requirements. To improve, you should expand on the data by including more specific figures or comparing the categories in greater detail to ensure the response meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction and an overview that sets the stage for the body paragraph. The use of cohesive devices such as 'While', 'On the other hand', and 'Meanwhile' helps to guide the reader through the comparisons effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a short report. The flow of ideas is smooth, and the progression from general trends to specific category changes is logical. To reach a higher band, ensure that the structure is supported by a more substantial word count, which would allow for more complex linking between the various data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for an academic report. You have used a good range of topic-specific terms such as 'proportion', 'expenditure', 'allocated', and 'virtually unchanged'. The word choices are precise and help convey the information clearly. There are no spelling errors, and the collocations are natural. To aim for a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' (e.g., 'surged', 'plummeted', 'witnessed a decline') to demonstrate greater lexical flexibility and sophistication in your reporting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of sentence structures used effectively. You have successfully employed complex sentences, such as 'While food accounted for the highest share... leisure became the largest spending category', which demonstrates good control. Punctuation is used correctly throughout the text. There are no noticeable grammatical errors, and the writing is clear and professional. Because the response is short, the range of structures is limited, but what is present is error-free and demonstrates a high level of grammatical competence.

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

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