Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21

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 6.0)

The given bar chart illustrates the information of average weekly spending by families in a country in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, it is lucid that food contained the highest proportion of weekly income in 1968, while in 2018 it would be overtaken by housing and leisure activities. Weekly spending declined on fuel and power, clothing and footwear and personal goods, whereas household goods remained unchangeable over the period.

In 1968, income was mostly spending on food, which was 30%. The household goods and clothing and footwear were at same proportion, at 10%. Besides this, household goods, personal goods and transport stood at 8% respectively, while spending on leisure activities followed at around 9%. Spending on housing was second most common, which was accounted as 10%. The proportion of spending income on fuel and power was least among families, experienced at approximately 6%.

In 2008, expenditure on food dramatically declined from 30% to 17%, whereas income spending on housing, transport and leisure considerably increased with 19%, 14% and 22%, respectively. Expenditure on other activities reduced, except household goods which was levelled out in both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all categories and made relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. However, there is a factual error in your final paragraph where you refer to '2008' instead of '2018', which impacts the accuracy of your reporting. Additionally, while you mention that household goods 'remained unchangeable', the data shows a slight decrease from 10% to 9%, so this claim is not entirely accurate. To improve, ensure you double-check the dates and data points against the source material to maintain full accuracy throughout your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'while', and 'in addition to' to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing could be improved by ensuring that the comparison between the two years is more integrated rather than listing them in separate blocks. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the minor factual errors mentioned in the task achievement section slightly disrupt the flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'proportion', 'expenditure', 'declined', and 'overtaken'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'income was mostly spending on food' (should be 'spent on') and 'accounted as' (should be 'accounted for'). While you attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary, these small errors in collocation and grammar prevent a higher score. Focusing on precise verb-noun collocations will help elevate your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'it is lucid that' (a bit unnatural; 'it is clear' is better), 'at same proportion' (missing an article), and 'stood at 8% respectively' (the use of 'respectively' is incorrect here as you are listing a single category). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the report. To reach a higher band, focus on article usage and ensuring that complex structures are used with greater accuracy.

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

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