Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-22

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 chat compare the percentage of weakly income that families in one country spend on 8 categories in 1968 and 2018.Overall, food was the biggest expense in 1968,but by2018 housing and leisure had become the top two categories.

In 1968,families spent the largest proportion of their income about 35% on food .This was over the three time more than housing ,which was only around 10%, other notable expenses were clothing and foot ware, leisure, transport at roughly 10% and 8% respectively.BY 2018 the pattern changed completely spending food dropped to approximately 20%. In contrast housing and leisure saw the most dramatic increase , both reaching about 22% and becoming the joint highest categories. Transport also near double to 15%. Meanwhile spending on clothing , fuel and power , house hold goods and personal goods all declined slightly

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying the shift from food-dominated spending in 1968 to housing and leisure in 2018. However, the response is 12 words under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the task completion. While the key trends are highlighted, the analysis is somewhat brief. To improve, you should ensure you meet the minimum word count by providing more detailed comparisons or elaborating on the data points, such as mentioning the specific figures for the categories that declined. The overview is present but could be more clearly separated from the body paragraphs to ensure a stronger structure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into an introduction and two body paragraphs, which provides a logical flow. You use some cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'Meanwhile' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is slightly underdeveloped, and the transition between the overview and the body could be smoother. Some sentences are a bit disjointed due to punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after commas and periods (e.g., '1968,but by2018'). Improving the use of linking words and ensuring consistent spacing will help the reader follow your argument more easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'dramatic increase', and 'categories'. However, there are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'weakly' instead of 'weekly', 'foot ware' instead of 'footwear', and 'near double' instead of 'nearly doubled'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. To reach a higher band, focus on accurate spelling and using more precise collocations to describe trends, such as 'expenditure' instead of 'spending'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use comparative structures, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('the' biggest expense), incorrect verb forms ('near double' instead of 'nearly doubled'), and punctuation issues (missing spaces after punctuation marks). These errors are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that you proofread for basic punctuation and spacing, which are essential for clarity in formal writing.

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

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