Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The bar chart illustrates about the weekly income spent by the families in one country in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, it can be seen that food had the highest number of weekly income spent in 1968 and Leisure had the highet number in 2018. While, fuel and power had the lowest number in 1968 and in 2018 fuel and power and personal goods were the lowest number income spent.

In 1968, food started at 35% of the weekly income spent and had the highest number for that year. Followed by housing and clothing and footware with 10%. While Leisure with 9% and transport, personal goods, and household goods with 8%. Meanwhile fuel and power with the lowest percentage at 6%.

In 2018, a significant changes with the highest number of income spent was leisure it rose to 22%. Followed by housing, food and transport with 19%,17%, and 14%. While household goods remain stable. Meanwhile clothing, personal good and fuealmpower had recorded the lowest with 5%, 4% and 3%

In contrast, families changes their perspective in spending money from 1968 to 3018. As time pass by they’re more likely to spent in leisure instead of using it with basic necessities like food. However, ut did not change that the lowest number spent is same fir the past years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing percentages rather than synthesizing trends. There are also inaccuracies in the data reporting; for instance, you stated that 'food' was 35% in 1968, but the chart shows it was significantly higher (around 35% is actually the figure for housing/other categories, while food is clearly the highest bar). Additionally, the conclusion introduces personal interpretation ('families changed their perspective') which is not required in an objective data summary. To improve, focus on grouping data points logically and ensuring the accuracy of the figures cited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often repetitive or misused. For example, starting multiple sentences with 'While' or 'Meanwhile' creates a mechanical flow. Some transitions are awkward, such as 'In contrast, families changes their perspective', which does not effectively link the data to the conclusion. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas within paragraphs could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

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 heavily on basic phrases like 'highest number' and 'lowest number' throughout the text. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'highet', 'footware', 'fuealmpower', and 'fir', which distract the reader. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained constant', or 'experienced a significant decline', and ensure that your spelling is accurate to maintain a professional tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical errors are frequent and occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('families changes their perspective', 'they’re more likely to spent'), incorrect verb forms ('to spent'), and punctuation errors. The sentence structure is often fragmented, particularly when listing data. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent verb tense usage and proofreading for basic grammatical slips will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.