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 years.

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 and provides a clear overview. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the decline in food spending and the rise in leisure and housing costs. The comparisons are relevant and well-supported by the data provided. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with complete accuracy; for instance, you mentioned that household goods remained equal, but the chart shows a slight decrease. Additionally, ensure that your overview is fully comprehensive by mentioning all significant shifts. Overall, you have addressed the prompt effectively and provided a logical summary of the information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you use cohesive devices such as 'In addition,' 'In comparison,' and 'while' to link your points effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. The referencing is generally clear, though some transitions could be more varied to improve the flow. The structure is coherent throughout, and the reader can easily follow the comparison between the two years.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'proportion,' 'allocation,' and 'fluctuations.' However, there are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'reduce spent' (should be 'reduced spending') and 'footware' (spelling: 'footwear'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, these small inaccuracies prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on precise collocations and ensure that your word forms are grammatically correct in context. The range is adequate for the task, but more sophisticated, topic-specific vocabulary would enhance the quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'was spend' (should be 'was spent') and 'exceeding over' (redundant phrasing). Additionally, 'remained equal spend' is grammatically awkward. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.