Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-29

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 graph illustrates the percentage of weekly income spent by families in a country in 1968 and 2018. The x-axis shows the percentage of weekly income while the y-axis shows on what items the income is being spent.

At first glance, most of the money has been spent on the food in 1968 however, in 2018 leisure was at the highest percent. The chart shows the fluctuations happening in both the years except one exception in household goods which was same in both years at 7%.

Comparing both the years, the food covered the most percentage in 1968 and became the top most spending at 35%, on the other hand, in 2018 money being spent on the food was only around 17%. Second category in which the huge spending has been done in 2018 is housing which covers around 19% while in 1968, only 10% money spent on the housing. Fuel and power & clothing and footware both remained higher in 1968 and lower in 2018.

Moving forward towards household goods which remained same in both the years at 7%. Moreover, 17% of the money spent on personal goods in 1968 and only a small fraction of 4% spent in 2018. In transport and leisure only 6% and 7% respectively has been spent in 1968 and 14% spent on transport in 2018 before levelling off at 23% in leisure and making it the major factor in which most the spendings were made in 2018.

In conclusion, food was the dominant factor in 1968 and leisure was the major one in 2018, with an exception being made in household goods in both the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You highlighted the shift from food to leisure as the primary expenditure categories and noted the stability of household goods. However, the report lacks precision in some areas; for example, you mention 'personal goods' at 17% in 1968, but the chart labels this category as 'clothing and footwear'. Additionally, some descriptions of the data are slightly inaccurate, such as stating leisure was 23% in 2018 when the chart indicates 23% for leisure. Overall, you covered the key features well, but ensure you read the labels on the chart more carefully to avoid factual errors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'on the other hand', 'moreover', and 'in conclusion' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. The referencing is generally clear, but the progression between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the discussion of food and housing could be more fluid. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'dominant factor', and 'levelling off'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'top most spending' and 'huge spending has been done', which sound slightly unnatural. Additionally, there are minor errors in terminology, such as referring to 'clothing and footwear' as 'personal goods'. While you attempt to use a variety of vocabulary, the precision is inconsistent. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that category names are transcribed accurately from the source material.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'money being spent on the food was only around 17%' (missing article), 'remained same in both the years' (missing 'the'), and 'in transport and leisure only 6% and 7% respectively has been spent' (subject-verb agreement). These errors occur frequently but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on article usage, subject-verb agreement, and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound.

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

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