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 bar chart displays the various ways in which the families spent their weekly income in 1968 & in 2018

Overall, it is quite evident from the chart that, the families spent most of their weekly income on food in 1968, followed by white families in 2018 spent the most on leisure. It can also be seen that families in both bth years spent the least on fuel and power.

Looking into the detail, 1968 a large percentage of this weekly income about 35% was spent on food, by the families, followed by clothing and footwear and housing at 10%. On leisure about 8% was spent while on transport, personal goods and household goods consumed 7% of the weekly income. The families spent the least on fuel and power about 6%.

The bar chart displays the various costs in which the families spent their weekly income in 1968 & in 2018.

Overall, it is quite evident from the chart that the families spent most of this weekly income in 1968, followed by while families in 2018 spent the most on leisure. It can also be seen that families in both the years spent the least on fuel and power.

Looking into the detail, 1968 a large percentage of this weekly income about 35% was spent on food, by the families, followed by clothing and footwear and housing at 10% or less about 8% was spent while on transport + personal goods and household goods consumed 7% of the weekly income. The families spent the least on fuel and power about 6%.

On the other hand, leisure consumed a large portion of the weekly income of UK families in 2018, followed by housing and transport at 18% and 14% respectively. It can be clearly seen that household goods stands at (it is 6%) utilising 7% of their weekly income while clothing and footwear too 5% of their weekly income. It seems that fuel and power and personal goods were less important to UK families in the year, both consuming just 4% of their weekly income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the data, but it suffers from significant repetition. You have essentially written the report twice, as the second half of your text repeats the information provided in the first half with minor variations. This indicates a lack of planning and editing. While you have identified key trends, such as the shift from food to leisure spending, the repetitive structure prevents a clear, concise summary. To improve, focus on grouping data logically and ensuring that each point is stated only once to maintain a professional academic tone.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a logical flow because the entire content is duplicated. This creates a confusing reading experience. While you use some cohesive devices like 'On the other hand' and 'followed by', the overall structure is severely undermined by the repetition of the introduction and the body paragraphs. Paragraphing is present, but it does not serve to organize ideas effectively since the same ideas are restated. To reach a higher band, you must ensure that each paragraph introduces new information or analysis, and avoid repeating entire sections of your report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'consumed', 'utilising', and 'percentage' used correctly. However, the repetition of the same phrases throughout the text limits your score. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'various costs in which the families spent their weekly income'. To improve, try to vary your vocabulary by using synonyms for 'spent' (e.g., 'allocated', 'expended') and avoid repeating the same sentence structures. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and nouns will help demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation and syntax. For example, '1968 a large percentage...' is missing a preposition, and there are issues with comma usage and run-on sentences. Some phrases, such as 'followed by while families in 2018', are grammatically incoherent. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that every sentence has a clear structure will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.