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 chart provides information about the average weekly spending by families in one country in 1968 and in 2018, varying between eight different expenses .

Overall, three of the eight expenses showed clear increase in the spending in 2018, where four of them experienced considerable drop. The remaining category, household goods, illustrated a notably stable percentage of families' spendings in the two years.

In 1968, food used to account for a significant proportion of the weekly income, reaching a percentage of 35%, which is the highest among other categories before sharply dropping to nearly 17% of families weekly income by 2018. Spends on housing rose considerably from 10 per cent to nearly 20% of the weekly income. Fuel and power remained a small part of weekly spending, except dropping slightly from approximately 7% to under 5 per cent of the weekly income. Additionally, clothing and footwear used to represent 10% in 1968 before decreasing to the half.

Household goods showed a steady percentage of the average weekly spending across the years, stable at nearly 7 per cent. Personal goods' proportion of the weekly spending dropped from over 5% to 3%. Transport did not use to account for much of the the weekly income in 1968, except growing significantly in 2018 to approximately 15%. Lastly, families weekly spending on leisure increased dramatically to over 20% after being only less than 10 per cent in 1968.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main trends and provided relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. The overview clearly highlights the significant shifts in spending patterns, such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure and transport costs. You have supported your points with accurate data from the chart. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise; for instance, when mentioning that clothing and footwear decreased to 'the half', it would be more accurate to specify the exact figures (10% to 5%) to maintain the high level of data precision expected in Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the data, which aids readability. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Lastly', and 'In 1968' to guide the reader through the information. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'except dropping slightly' in the third paragraph is a bit awkward in its connection to the previous sentence. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases like 'account for a significant proportion', 'notably stable', and 'increased dramatically' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'spends on housing' (should be 'spending on housing') and 'families weekly spending' (missing an apostrophe). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching the highest band. Expanding your repertoire of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' would further enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show good control over grammar, though there are occasional slips. For example, 'where four of them experienced' is slightly misused; 'whereas' would be more appropriate. Additionally, there are minor punctuation errors, such as the missing possessive apostrophe in 'families weekly spending'. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the majority of your sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. The use of complex structures is generally successful, contributing to a solid performance in this criterion.

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