Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The chart illustrates the percentage of weekly income of families which spent in one country during the period of 1968 and 2018.
First of all, the the percentage of income in food sharply increased from 0 to 35% during the period of 1968. The percentage of income in housing and clothing exactly same was 10% in this period. While the percentage slightly increased from 0 to 7%. In the period of 1968, the percentage in household goods and personal goods almost remained same 8 % while the percentage of transport also remained same 8%. Then its percentage in leisure slightly inclined from 0 to 9% during the period of 1968.
secondly, the percentage of income in food decreased from 35% to 17% in 2018 while its percentage in housing increased from 10 to 19% with passage of time. The percentage also decreased in fuel and power from 7% to 4% during this period while its percentage in clothing and footware declined from 10% to 5% from 1968 to 2018. Further more, its percentage remained same in the period of time while its percentage decreased from 8% to 4% in personal goods. The percentage increased from 8% to14% in transport in this period. At the end, the percentage significantly increased in leisure from 9% to 23% with the passage of time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to cover the data, but there are significant inaccuracies in the reporting of figures. For instance, stating that food spending increased from 0 to 35% in 1968 is factually incorrect based on the chart provided. The summary lacks a clear overview of the main trends, such as the shift from essential spending (food) to discretionary spending (leisure). The data is presented in a somewhat disjointed manner, and the misinterpretation of the chart's starting points significantly impacts the task achievement score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'the percentage of' and 'in this period'. The logical progression is hindered by the inaccurate data reporting, making it difficult to follow the comparison between 1968 and 2018. While there is an attempt to use linking words like 'first of all' and 'secondly', the overall flow is somewhat disjointed due to the lack of clear thematic grouping.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'percentage of income' are used repeatedly, and there are errors in word choice, such as 'inclined' used incorrectly to describe a percentage change. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic information, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are also minor spelling errors, such as 'footware' instead of 'footwear'. To improve, you should aim to use a wider range of synonyms and more precise verbs to describe trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the the percentage', 'exactly same was 10%', and 'remained same 8%'. These errors, while not always impeding communication, are frequent enough to be noticeable. There is a lack of control over articles and sentence structure, which limits the clarity of the comparisons. Improving the accuracy of basic sentence construction and reducing repetitive phrasing will help in achieving a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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