Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-26

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 7.0)

The bar graph provides information about how households in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and 2018

Overall, food accounted for the largest proportion of weekly spending in 1968, whereas leisure became the biggest expense in 2018. Spending on food, clothing and footwear, fuel and power, and personal goods decreased, while expenditure on housing, transport and leisure increased. Spending on household goods remained unchanged

In 1968, families spend 35% of their weekly income on food, which was by far the largest proportion. Housing and clothing and footwear each account for 10%. Leisure represent 9%, while household goods, personal goods and transport each made up approximately 8%. Fuel and power had the lowest figure, at about 6%.

By 2018, the pattern had changed considerably. Leisure became the largest category, accounting for 22% of weekly income, followed by housing at 19%. Food fell significantly to 17%, although it remained a major expense. Transport also increased from 8% to 14%. In contrast, spending on clothing and footwear fell from 10% to 5%, while fuel and power and personal goods both decreased to around 4%. Household goods was the only category that remained at approximately 8%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the main trends and supported these with accurate data from the chart. The comparison between 1968 and 2018 is well-handled, highlighting the shift in spending priorities, such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure costs. The information is well-selected, and the key features are clearly identified. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with consistent tense usage, as there were minor inconsistencies in the reporting of past data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', and 'followed by' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the general trends from the specific data analysis. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow. The use of referencing is generally clear, contributing to the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, including terms like 'proportion', 'expenditure', 'accounted for', and 'remained unchanged'. The vocabulary is precise and appropriate for an academic report. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede communication. To improve further, you could incorporate a slightly wider range of less common lexical items to describe trends, such as 'marginal', 'fluctuation', or 'predominant', which would demonstrate a more sophisticated control of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free; however, there are some inconsistencies in tense usage. For instance, you used 'spend' (present) instead of 'spent' (past) when discussing 1968, and 'account' (present) instead of 'accounted' (past). Additionally, 'Leisure represent' should be 'Leisure represented'. While these errors are minor and do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching the highest band. Focusing on consistent tense agreement when reporting historical data will improve your accuracy.

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