Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The chart gives information about money spent on different factors in 1968 and 2018. The information is mentioned in average weekly spending by families.

Although, the overall spent money weekly is higher in 1968, it also shows fewer amount in some factors. In one feature they remained same in both years.

Firstly in 1968 the fuel and power, clothing and footware and personal goods there was major trend of spending money on these chores in families. Moreover, the food shows the highest rate in spending money, which is 35% of weekly income.

However, there was less money spending trend towards the housing, transport and leisure, which is considerably increased in 2018.

On the other hand, the household goods has been remained the same in all years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you identify some main features, such as the high percentage for food in 1968 and the increase in housing and transport, the analysis is superficial. You have not provided sufficient data points or comparisons to fully address the task. The overview is weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends. To improve, ensure you include more specific data from the chart and extend your analysis by comparing the categories more thoroughly rather than just listing them.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into short paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by the lack of depth and the brevity of the text. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'However', the flow between sentences feels somewhat disjointed. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'In one feature they remained same in both years', where the specific feature is not immediately identified. Improving the use of linking phrases and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, developed focus would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band score. You rely on simple phrasing, such as 'money spent on different factors' and 'major trend of spending money'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'chores' to describe spending categories and 'fewer amount' (which should be 'a smaller amount'). To improve, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'expenditure', 'proportion', 'fluctuated', or 'remained stable'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'Although, the overall spent money weekly is higher' is grammatically incorrect; 'Although' should not be followed by a comma, and 'spent money' is awkward. Additionally, 'the household goods has been remained' contains an incorrect verb tense. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice, which is essential for describing charts. Proofreading for basic errors in tense and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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