Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23

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 line graph gives information about overall weekly expense by families in one particular region in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, it can be seen that food expenses played a significant role during 1968, while other expenses experienced no major trend in both year.

Looking at the details, housing expense stood at 10% in 1968, before rising to 15% by 2018. Meanwhile, transport and leisure expenses followed a similar pattern, increasing from 7% to 14 % while leisure increasing from 9% to 22% over the same period.

In comparison, food was recorded 35%in 1968, which was higher than all other catagory. It then dropped sharply, reaching 17% in 2018.

Turning to the remaining figures, fuel and ppower, clothing and personal goods began at consequently 6%,10% and 8% in 1968 and then fell gradually to 4%,5% and 3% in 2018 . Whereas, household goods remained steady at 8% in both years.

Overall, food expenses experienced a significant decline in 2018, whereas leisure expenses recorded the consistantly higher figure in 2018 as compare with 1968

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the data, such as the significant decline in food spending and the rise in leisure costs. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data from the chart. However, the report could be improved by ensuring all data points are accurate; for instance, you mentioned leisure increased from 7% to 14%, but the chart shows it rose from 9% to 22%. Additionally, the final paragraph is somewhat redundant as it repeats information already covered. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise and avoid repeating the overview in the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the data. You used some cohesive devices like 'Meanwhile', 'In comparison', and 'Turning to', which help the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the summary feels disconnected from the preceding analysis. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph flows naturally into the next without repeating information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main trends, using terms like 'significant decline', 'rose', and 'remained steady'. However, there are some errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'catagory' instead of 'category', 'ppower' instead of 'power', and 'consistantly' instead of 'consistently'. Furthermore, the phrase 'consequently 6%' is an incorrect use of the adverb. To achieve a higher score, focus on accurate spelling and using more precise collocations to describe statistical changes, such as 'a marginal increase' or 'a substantial drop'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues and punctuation mistakes (e.g., 'food was recorded 35%in 1968'). The sentence 'leisure expenses recorded the consistantly higher figure in 2018 as compare with 1968' contains a grammatical error in the comparative structure. To improve, proofread your work to catch minor slips in verb forms and prepositions, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater accuracy.

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