Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The bar graph the presentation elucidates information about the families in one country spent their weekly salary. At a first glance, it can be promptly notice that there was the percentage of weekly spend by families increment of food.

From the given statistics, it is apparent that the average weekly spend by family of food initialised at 35% in 1968. This figure elevated from 17% in 2018. The percentage of weekly expend by family of housing 10% in 1968 was doubled of the out look by family of fuel and power in 1968. This figure declined from 19% to 4% in 2010.

On the other hand, the average weekly pay out by family of household goods and personal goals doubled from 8% shared the same platform in 1968. This figure declined from 8% to 4% in 2010.

The major conclusion that can be drawn the bar graph is food highest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to accurately report the data provided in the chart. There are significant factual errors, such as stating that food spending 'elevated' from 35% to 17% (which is a decrease) and referencing the year 2010, which is not present in the prompt. The overview is extremely brief and lacks a clear summary of the main trends. While the response attempts to address the task, the misinterpretation of the data and the lack of clear comparisons mean that the main features are not adequately highlighted or supported.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The essay lacks logical progression. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the sentences within the paragraphs do not follow a clear sequence. Cohesive devices are either missing or used incorrectly, such as 'On the other hand,' which does not logically connect the preceding information to the following points. The referencing is often unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the two years. The overall structure is disjointed, and the lack of clear transitions between ideas hinders the flow of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is limited and often misused, which frequently impedes communication. Phrases like 'initialised at' and 'out look by family' are unnatural and inaccurate in this context. There is also a lack of variety in reporting verbs and descriptive language. The student struggles to use precise terminology to describe trends, such as 'increment' used incorrectly to describe a decrease. The repetition of basic structures and the misuse of technical terms significantly limit the ability to convey information clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that often distort the intended meaning. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'it can be promptly notice,' and incorrect sentence construction, such as 'The bar graph the presentation elucidates.' The use of complex structures is attempted but is consistently inaccurate, leading to confusion. Punctuation is also problematic, and the lack of control over basic sentence patterns makes the text difficult to read. The majority of sentences contain errors, which prevents the demonstration of a wider range of grammatical structures.

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

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