Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-30
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 presented chart illustrates data about a allocate funds to their weekly household earnings in a specific country the years of [redacted phone]. Overall, the survey includes 8 categories namely food, housing, fuel and power, clothing and footvare, household goods, personal goods, transport and leisure.
in 1968, the highest proportion of money has spent for foods. it can be seen as 35%. the lowest number of money has spent for fuel and power. especially equal amount of proportions has spent for household goods, personal goods and transport.
By 2018, spending money for foods has decreased dramatically than 1968. The highest amount of money has spent for leisure. families do not spend much more money for personal goods and fuel and power. they have marked as the lowest. according to the charts, spending money for the housing has increased considerably more than 1968. an equal amount of percentage shows in household goods in two years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the shift in spending from food to leisure and the increase in housing costs. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks precision. For example, the statement 'especially equal amount of proportions has spent for household goods, personal goods and transport' is vague and does not accurately reflect the data. Furthermore, the report lacks a clear overview that synthesizes the trends effectively. While the key features are identified, the lack of specific data points (percentages) for 2018 makes the comparison less informative. To improve, ensure that all claims are supported by specific figures from the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure for a Task 1 response. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. There is a lack of linking words to connect ideas within sentences and between paragraphs, making the flow feel disjointed. For instance, the transition between the 1968 data and the 2018 data is abrupt. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'they have marked as the lowest', which does not clearly refer back to the specific categories mentioned previously. More varied cohesive devices are needed to improve the logical flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward word choices and inaccuracies, such as 'allocate funds to their weekly household earnings' and 'footvare' (spelling error). The phrase 'lowest number of money' is also non-standard; 'lowest proportion of expenditure' would be more appropriate. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and synonyms to describe trends, such as 'expenditure', 'proportion', and 'fluctuated'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with verb tense consistency, such as 'the highest proportion of money has spent' (passive voice error) and 'spending money for foods has decreased'. Sentence structures are generally simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences and incorrect usage of periods. The errors in subject-verb agreement and passive construction are persistent throughout the text. Increasing the variety of sentence structures and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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