Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

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 both year.

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 footware 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 footware, 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 6.5

The response covers all key features of the data, providing a clear overview and comparing the two years effectively. You successfully identified the most significant trends, such as the decline in food spending and the rise in leisure and housing costs. The data is accurately reported, and the comparisons are relevant. To reach a higher band, ensure that all figures are described with precision; for instance, when mentioning 'exceeding over 20%', avoid redundant phrasing. Overall, the report is well-structured and addresses the requirements of the task comprehensively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, a summary paragraph, and two body paragraphs that group information effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'In comparison', 'while', and 'In addition' are used to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the specific details. The flow of ideas is smooth, and the progression from general trends to specific categories is logical. The use of referencing is generally clear, contributing to a coherent response throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly, using terms like 'proportion', 'allocation', and 'fluctuations'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and form, such as 'reduce spent' (should be 'reduced spending') and 'equal spend' (should be 'equal spending'). Additionally, 'footware' is misspelled as 'footware' (should be 'footwear'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on correct word forms and collocations will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'was spend' (should be 'was spent') and 'in both year' (should be 'in both years'). The phrase 'exceeding over 20%' is also grammatically redundant. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the punctuation is generally accurate. To improve, pay closer attention to verb tenses and noun-number agreement. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy would further enhance your grammatical performance.

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