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 given bar graph compares the average weekly spending of their salary by families in a country across eight different categories in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, it is clear that there were significant changes in spending patterns over the fifty-year period, with reduce spent on food but increased allocation for housing, transport, and leisure activities. In addition, household goods remained equal spend

In 1968, the highest proportion of the weekly income, at about 35%, was spend on food, making it the greatest percentage in the chart. Other categories accounted for less than 10% of the total spending, except for housing and clothing and footwear costs, which stood at exactly 10%.

In comparison, by 2018, while food costs still fell sharply to around 17%, leisure activities became a primary focus of spending, exceeding over 20%. Housing costs increased to over 15%, and transport expenses nearly doubled, rising from about 6% to over 12%. The remaining categories, including fuel and power, clothing and footwear, household goods, and personal goods saw minor fluctuations over the fifty-year period, remaining below 10% of total weekly income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response effectively covers the requirements of the task by identifying the main trends and comparing the data between 1968 and 2018. You successfully highlighted the significant shift in food spending and the rise in leisure and housing costs. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped; while you mention 'significant changes,' it would be more precise to explicitly state that food was the primary expense in 1968, whereas leisure became the dominant category by 2018. Additionally, the claim that 'household goods remained equal' is inaccurate based on the provided chart, as there is a visible change. Despite these minor inaccuracies, the main features are clearly reported.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'In comparison,' 'while,' and 'In addition' to link your points effectively. However, the final sentence of the second paragraph is incomplete ('household goods remained equal spend'), which disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. To reach a higher band, ensure that all sentences are grammatically complete and that cohesive devices are used to connect ideas more fluidly across the entire text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'proportion,' 'fluctuations,' and 'allocation.' There are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'reduce spent' instead of 'reduced spending' and 'exceeding over,' which is redundant. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. The attempt to use varied terminology is evident, but accuracy in word choice needs more attention.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as 'was spend on food' (should be 'was spent') and 'exceeding over 20%.' The sentence 'In addition, household goods remained equal spend' is grammatically incomplete. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they indicate a lack of control over verb forms and sentence construction. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences and proofreading for basic verb tense consistency would significantly improve your score.

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