Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01

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 chart illustrates how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, the average weekly income spent highest on the food followed by the leisure activities. The average income spent lowest on the fuel and power. Moreover, the average weekly income increased on housing and transport.

Firstly, the average weekly income spent on the food recorded 35% which was highest in 1968. The figure decreased in 2018 and stood at 16%. The average weekly income for housing accounted for 10% in 1968 that increased to 18% in 2018. Moreover, Fuel and power recorded the lowest income spent weekly with 6% in 1968 that decreased to 4% in 2018.

In addition, household goods stood at identical 10% over the period. The average weekly money spent on personal goods recorded 8% in 1968 that declined to 4% in 2018. Finally, the average money spent weekly on leisure activities accounted for 9% in 1968 that increased significantly to 22% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the chart, including the most significant changes over the 50-year period. You have successfully identified the trends for food, housing, and leisure, and provided accurate data points to support these observations. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; for instance, you state that the 'average weekly income spent highest on the food', but the chart shows spending as a percentage of income, not the income itself. Additionally, the statement that spending was 'lowest on fuel and power' is not entirely accurate for 2018, as personal goods also stood at 4%. To reach a higher band, ensure your overview captures the most striking trends more precisely and distinguishes between 'income' and 'expenditure'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In addition', and 'Finally' to link your points. However, some of the transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more varied. For example, the repetition of 'The average weekly income' at the start of several sentences makes the flow feel a bit repetitive. Improving the variety of your cohesive links and avoiding repetitive sentence starters would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accounted for', 'recorded', and 'declined'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, particularly in the way you describe the data. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'average weekly income spent', which is imprecise; it would be more accurate to refer to 'average weekly household expenditure'. To improve, try to incorporate a wider range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' (e.g., 'surged', 'plummeted', 'fluctuated') and focus on more precise collocations related to statistical reporting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear, and the meaning is never in doubt. However, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'the average weekly income spent highest on the food', which should be 'the highest proportion of weekly income was spent on food'. There are also minor errors with articles and prepositions throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice would be beneficial.

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