Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given chart shows how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. It is clear from the graph that there were 8 major expense factors which utilized their income. In 1968, the main expense was food which took 35% of their weekly earning whereas in 2018 it dropped to nearly 17%. Amount spent on housing during earlier time in 1968 was 10% that rose to almost 19% in 2018. Fuel and power consumed nearly 7% of their weekly income in 1968 which reduced till 3% in 2018. Clothing and footwear occupied 10% of their weekly income in 1968 whereas in 2018 it dropped till 5%. Household goods expense remained constant in both years. Percent of weekly income spent on personal goods and transport was the same during 1968 which is nearly 8%, while, in 2018, it was 3% and 14% respectively. Lastly, 8% of their weekly income was spent for leisure in 1968, whereas, on the other hand, 22% was used in 2018.

In summary, the highest amount of weekly income spent in 1968 was for food, while the least was spent for fuel and power. In 2018, the highest weekly income is spent for leisure whereas the least is spent for personal goods and fuel & power.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the data and provides a clear overview. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the significant shift in spending from food to leisure. However, the report is essentially a list of data points. To reach a higher band, you should group the data more effectively by identifying broader trends (e.g., categories that increased versus those that decreased) rather than describing each item sequentially. While you made some comparisons, the analysis could be more integrated to highlight the 'why' or the significance of the changes more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction and a summary paragraph. You use some cohesive devices like 'whereas' and 'on the other hand' to link ideas. However, the flow is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on a repetitive structure (e.g., 'In 1968... whereas in 2018...'). To improve, try to vary your sentence structures and use a wider range of linking words to connect the data points more fluidly. Paragraphing is present, but the body paragraph is quite dense; splitting it into two thematic paragraphs would improve readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'utilized', 'consumed', and 'occupied' appropriately. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, and there are minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'reduced till 3%' (should be 'decreased to 3%') and 'dropped till 5%'. To achieve a higher band, incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'accounted for a significant proportion of'. The current range is sufficient but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is generally effective. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'Amount spent on housing during earlier time in 1968 was 10%' (missing articles) and 'Percent of weekly income spent... was the same during 1968 which is nearly 8%' (tense inconsistency). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and consistent tense application when describing historical data will help improve your accuracy.

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

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