Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-18

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 the comparison of average weekly spending of families in the year 1968 and 2018 in a nation. Looking at the chart, it is apparent that in 1968 families spend highly on food and least for fuel and power. Whereas, in 2018 families paid more over leisure and fewer on personal goods, fuel and power.

In 1968, household goods, personal goods and Transport were dominating equal percentage of expend at 6% each. Which slightly increased for leisure to 8%. Moreover, Housing , Clothing and footwear also showed equal share of 10%.

In 2018, Food and housing displays slight difference in expenses at 17% and 19%. However, percentage for transport reduced sharply at 14%. Which again dropped significantly for household goods. Furthermore, Clothing and footwear had decreased to 5% by 2018. Therefore the data says that people usually spend more on food, housing and leisure in both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the shift in spending on food and leisure. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and contains inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, stating that household goods, personal goods, and transport were 'dominating equal percentage' at 6% in 1968 is not fully supported by the visual data, and the comparison of 2018 figures lacks precision. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the most significant trends, such as the dramatic rise in leisure spending versus the decline in food expenditure. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are cited accurately and comparisons are more analytical.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the use of 'Which' at the start of sentences (e.g., 'Which slightly increased...') is grammatically incorrect and creates a disjointed flow. Transitions between ideas are sometimes abrupt, and the logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother. While the overall arrangement is coherent, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the reliance on repetitive sentence structures limit the effectiveness of the cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the trends. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'spend highly' instead of 'spend a large proportion' and 'dominating equal percentage of expend' instead of 'accounted for an equal share of expenditure'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise terminology related to data reporting, such as 'expenditure', 'proportion', 'fluctuated', and 'accounted for'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Food and housing displays'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'families spend highly'), and sentence fragments starting with 'Which'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be highly beneficial.

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