Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-17

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 4.5)

The chart shows the detail about weekly income of the family how spend in the one country between two years 1968 and 2018.

In 1968, families much of the income spend in food and the other hand 2018 families most of the income in leisure.

In the 1968, 30 percent of the income wasted on food and the other hand small amount of income spend in fuel and the power and other six power the spending the income 5 to 10 percent. In the 2018 families most of the income spend in the leisure above 20 and low 25 percent. the families spend only 4 percent spend in fuel and power,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have identified some main features, such as the shift from food to leisure spending, the analysis is incomplete. You have not provided a clear overview of the trends, and the data reporting is fragmented and lacks precision. Several categories are omitted entirely, and the description of the data is too brief to fully address the task requirements. To improve, ensure you cover all categories mentioned in the chart and provide a clear, concise summary of the most significant changes between the two years.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The response lacks a logical structure. There is no clear paragraphing, and the sentences are disjointed, making the flow of information difficult to follow. You have attempted to use some cohesive devices like 'in the other hand', but these are used incorrectly and repetitively. The lack of transition between the introduction and the body of the report makes the progression of ideas unclear. To improve, organize your writing into a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs. Use a wider variety of linking words such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', and 'consequently' to connect your ideas more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. You rely on basic verbs like 'spend' and 'show' throughout the text. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'wasted on food' (which is not supported by the chart) and 'other six power'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the precision required for an Academic Task 1 report. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to charts and trends, such as 'expenditure', 'accounted for', 'fluctuated', and 'remained stable'. Avoid using informal or inaccurate terms when describing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are consistent issues with verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. For example, 'families much of the income spend' is grammatically incorrect and difficult to parse. You rely almost exclusively on simple sentence structures, and there is a lack of complex grammatical forms. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing or misplaced commas and periods. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and practice using complex structures like relative clauses or passive voice to describe the data.

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

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