Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19

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 given bar chart illustrates how families in one country allocated their weekly income across eight categories in 1968 and 2018.

it can be clearly seen that, food was the largest expense in 1968 but fell significantly by 2018. in contrast, spending on housing, transport and leisure all rose substantially. the proportion spent on other categories such as clothing and personal goods declined.

in 1968, food accounted for approximately 35% of weekly income, far exceeding all other categories. housing and clothing were the next most significant at around 10% each. expenditure on fuel, household goods, personal goods, transport and leisure each ranged between 8% and 10%.

by 2018, the pattern had changed markedly. spending on food dropped to about 18%, while housing became an second largest category at roughly 20%. the most dramatic increase was in leisure, which more than doubled from 9% to 23%. transport

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. Furthermore, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence ('transport'). While the introduction and overview are clear and identify the main trends, the lack of a conclusion and the unfinished nature of the final paragraph mean that the reporting of data is incomplete. To improve, ensure all data points are fully described and that the response is completed in full sentences, meeting the minimum length requirement to allow for a full development of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'in contrast' and 'while' helps to link ideas effectively. However, the abrupt ending of the text disrupts the overall flow and coherence of the piece. To reach a higher band, ensure that the response is fully developed and that transitions between sentences are smooth and complete. The current structure is logical, but the lack of completion prevents a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the task, with terms like 'allocated', 'significantly', 'proportion', and 'markedly' demonstrating a good range. The student successfully describes trends using accurate terminology. However, the range is somewhat limited due to the incomplete nature of the response. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' to avoid repetition and demonstrate a wider lexical range. The current vocabulary is sufficient for the task but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'it can be clearly seen that, food was the largest expense'. There are some punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary comma after 'that'. While the grammar is generally accurate, the incomplete final sentence makes it impossible to assess the student's control over more complex structures fully. To improve, focus on consistent punctuation and ensuring that all complex sentences are grammatically complete. The current level of accuracy is acceptable, but the unfinished state of the writing limits the assessment.

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

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