Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates how the weekly income is spent by the families in one country in two different years 1968 and 2018. The information of expenditure is given in the percentage.

Overall, the maximum part of income was spent in the food sector in 1968 whereas the minimum was spent in the fuel and power. However, equal amount of income was spent in household goods in both years.

Initially, 35% of weekly income was spent in food which later reduced to almost half of it to 17% in the year 2018. Money spent in the leisure activities was nearly around 8% in 1968 which rose to more than twice of it to 22% in 2018. Moreover, the amount of money spent on household goods was approximately 8% in both the years.

Furthermore, expenditure on the footware and clothing was 10% in the beginning and later it dropped to 5% of the weekly income in the year 2018. Money spent by people on housing was 10% of the income, and it surged to nearly 19% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the data, including the significant shifts in food and leisure spending. You have successfully identified the main trends and made relevant comparisons between the two years. However, to reach a higher band, ensure all data points are included; for instance, the 'fuel and power' category mentioned in your overview was not detailed in the body paragraphs. Additionally, ensure your data reporting is precise; for example, stating 'almost half of it' is slightly vague when the exact figures (35% to 17%) are available. Overall, the response provides a clear summary of the information presented in the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader through the data. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the progression of ideas flows more naturally. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and each paragraph has a clear central topic, which helps the reader follow your analysis of the trends effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'expenditure', 'surged', and 'reduced'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the maximum part of income' (should be 'the largest proportion') and 'footware' (spelling error: 'footwear'). To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'accounted for', 'witnessed a decline', or 'remained stable'. The current vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly but lacks the precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'The information of expenditure is given in the percentage' (should be 'as a percentage') and 'in both the years' (should be 'in both years'). There are also minor issues with article usage and preposition choice. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more varied sentence structures will help improve your accuracy and range.

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

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