Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The portrayed data illustrates the utilization of income by families in 1968, compared with 2018.

The data specifies the aspects like food, clothing, housing, leisure and more. The given demonstration shows the shift in perspective of families as the decades passed.

As per the data, most families used to spend most of the share of their income in commodities of basic necessities like food and clothing, while families tend to spend more on leisure in 2018 as compared to 1968. The expenditure is quite more on housing and transport in 2018 than1968, due to reasons like increase in population and shortage in availability of resources.

The expenditure made on household goods remains constant in 1968 as well as 2018 without any fluctuation. While some of the specific causes for spending less on fuel and power in 2018 must be inflation and scarcity of resources due to enormous consumption on large scale.

Thus the illustration concludes that the change in habits , income, taste and preferences, change in demand and supply and dynamics leads to shift in average weekly spendings by families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides a general overview but fails to effectively report the main features of the data. While it identifies some trends, it lacks specific data points (percentages or figures) to support the comparisons, which is a requirement for Task 1. The analysis is somewhat speculative, introducing external reasons (e.g., 'shortage in availability of resources') that are not present in the provided chart. To improve, you must focus strictly on the data provided and include key figures to illustrate the changes between 1968 and 2018.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally misused, such as the transition 'Thus the illustration concludes', which does not logically follow from the preceding paragraph. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would enhance the overall flow of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on somewhat repetitive phrasing and general terms like 'aspects' and 'causes'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'commodities of basic necessities' (which is redundant) and 'enormous consumption on large scale'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'expenditure', 'proportion', 'fluctuation', and 'significant shift'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('in 1968 as well as 2018'), incorrect prepositions, and awkward phrasing ('The expenditure is quite more on housing'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around punctuation marks. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would be beneficial.

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

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