Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The given bar graph illustrates an average weekly spendings of families in 2018 compared to 1968 in a country.

Overall, it can be seen that , The highest amount was spent in food in 1968, while in 2018 it was spent on leisure activities.

To commence with, most of the famlies were spent almost 35 percent of their weekly incomes on food, it is almost two fold than in 2018, with only 17 pertcent of the income. In addition, 10 percent of the money was spent on housing and another thing that is clothing and footware. while 6 to 9 percent of expence was on other facilities like fuel and power, household goods, personal goods, transport and leisure activities.

Furthermore, in 2018, most of the expense are on leisure activities and housing with 23 and 18 percent of the weekly income respectively. while food was expenced by 17 percent of the income. other activities are covered with in 10 percent of the income particularly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides a general overview and identifies some key features, such as the shift from food to leisure spending. However, the report is incomplete and lacks precision. Several categories from the chart are omitted or grouped vaguely, such as 'another thing that is clothing and footware' and 'other facilities'. The comparison between 1968 and 2018 is present but lacks the necessary data-driven detail to fully satisfy the task requirements. The data points provided are sometimes inaccurate or poorly integrated, making it difficult for the reader to gain a clear understanding of the trends. To improve, ensure all categories are clearly labelled and data points are accurately cited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical use of cohesive devices. Phrases like 'To commence with' and 'another thing that is' are used in a way that feels unnatural and does not effectively link ideas. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the 'other' categories. While there is an attempt at an overall structure, the lack of smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs makes the flow somewhat disjointed. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'spent', 'money', and 'income'. There are several instances of inaccurate word choice and spelling errors, such as 'spendings' (which should be 'spending'), 'pertcent' (spelling), and 'expenced' (incorrect verb form). The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information with precision. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more varied synonyms for 'spending' and 'percentage', and ensure that technical terms related to the chart are used correctly. Avoid informal phrasing like 'another thing that is'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'most of the famlies were spent' and 'most of the expense are'. Sentence structures are often simplistic or incorrectly constructed, such as 'it is almost two fold than in 2018'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While there is an attempt to use complex structures, they are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses, and proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and word order.

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

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