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 bar chart shows how the weekly income is spent by families in a particular country between 1968 and 2018.

Overall, the spending of food was dramatically decreased over that period. While the amount spent on leisure's increased most by the end of time. Similarly, the housing as well as transport also experienced a subtle increase in usage of weekly income.

In 1968, almost 35% of weekly income was spent on food which was highest among all factors. This number reduced to just above 15% in 2018. Likewise, in clothing and footware, and personal goods the pay declined of around 5% from 1968 to 2018. The same pattern was seen in fuel and power sector too where it decreased marginally from almost 6% to around 4%.

In contrast, the expenses on leisure increased significantly from 8% to almost 23% in 2018 and remain on top for expenses. Similarly, the money spent on housing saw a dramatic increase of around 14% of weekly income. Transport also experienced a growing change from 8% in 1968 to 14% in 2018.Whereas, the expenses on household good maintain the same level of around 8% from 1968 to 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all key features of the chart, including the significant decline in food spending and the rise in leisure and housing costs. You have successfully identified the main trends and made relevant comparisons between the two years. The overview is clear and highlights the most important shifts. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with precision; for instance, you mentioned that leisure remained 'on top' for expenses in 2018, but the chart indicates that housing actually accounted for a higher percentage (approx. 25%) than leisure (approx. 23%). Accuracy in data interpretation is vital for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on decreasing and increasing trends. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Similarly', and 'Likewise' to link ideas effectively. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'by the end of time' is unnatural and slightly confusing in this context. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the trends, using terms like 'dramatically decreased', 'subtle increase', and 'marginally'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'leisure's increased' is grammatically incorrect, and 'growing change' is a vague collocation. Additionally, 'footware' is misspelled (should be 'footwear'). To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that your spelling is accurate. While the range is adequate for the task, more sophisticated vocabulary would be needed for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is generally effective. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'the spending of food was dramatically decreased' (passive voice error), 'leisure's increased' (incorrect possessive), and 'the pay declined of around 5%' (awkward phrasing). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing statistical changes.

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

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