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 bar chart gives the expenditure of percentage of weekly earnings by a household in a nation from 1968 and from 2018.

Overall, the percentage of income spent across majority of areas substantially decreased while the amount spent on leisure activities experienced a dramatic surge. Notably, the amount spent on household goods remained unchanged during both years 1968 and in 2018.

In 1968, households spent the most amount of their income on foods, about 35% of their weekly earnings. While the money allocated to housing and, clothing and footwear was 10%. Likewise, amount spent on household goods, personal goods, transport and leisure were roughly similar about 7%, 8%, 8%, and 9% respectively. Notably, the least amount of money was spent on fuel amounting to only about 6%.

While in 2018, expenditure incurred on leisurely activities the most, as households spent about 22% of their income. The amount spent on housing also increased to about 24%, while the amount spent on food declined dramatically to about 22%. Nevertheless, the amount spent on housing rose to about 24%, followed by transport at about 14%. Nevertheless, the amount spent on household goods in both years remained constant while, the amount spent on fuel and power, personal goods, and clothing and footwear decreased to about 4%, 5%, and 4% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features and trends, such as the significant decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure and housing costs. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data. However, there are some inaccuracies in your reporting; for example, you stated that household goods remained 'unchanged' at 7% in both years, but the chart shows a slight decrease. Additionally, you repeated information about housing and household goods in the final paragraph, which indicates a lack of precision in data selection. To reach a higher band, ensure that all figures are transcribed accurately and avoid redundant reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In 1968', 'While in 2018', and 'Nevertheless' to guide the reader. However, the use of 'Nevertheless' is sometimes repetitive and occasionally used where a different transition would be more appropriate. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two time periods. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the repetition of data in the final paragraph slightly disrupts the flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'expenditure', 'allocated', 'surge', and 'dramatically'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'expenditure incurred on leisurely activities the most' (which is grammatically awkward) and 'expenditure of percentage of weekly earnings'. While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the phrasing is occasionally unnatural. Improving your control over collocations and ensuring that nouns and verbs are used in the correct context will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'expenditure of percentage of weekly earnings' and 'amount spent on housing and, clothing and footwear was 10%'. The punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'amount spent on household goods in both years remained constant while, the amount spent on fuel...'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more consistent control over complex structures and punctuation.

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