Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02

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 6.5)

The bar chart illustrates the information about how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, food was the most popular spending habit in 1968, while spending on fuel and power was the least popular in the same year. In contrast, people spent the majority of their income on leisure in 2018, whereas the smallest portion of money was spent on personal goods in the same year.

In 1968, people spent 35% of their income on food, which was the highest in 1968. It decreased significantly to 16% in 2018. Additionally, people spent 10% of their income on housing in 1968, which increased gradually to 19% by the end of 2018. Moreover, individuals used around 6% of income on fuel and power in 1968. This figure decreased slightly to 4% in 2018. Similarly, in 1968, people spent 10% of their income on clothing and footwear before reaching to half in 2018, accounting for 5%.

On the other hand, 8% of their income was spent on household goods in 1968, which remained unchanged in 2018. In addition, people spent 8% of income on personal goods. This share stood at only 4% in 2018. Moreover, people spent 8% of their income on transport in 1968. It rose to 14% by the end of 2018. Nevertheless, people spent around 9% of their income on leisure. It peaked at 22% in 2018, highest in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features and provided a clear overview of the trends. You covered all categories and made relevant comparisons between the two years. However, the report could be improved by grouping the data more logically rather than listing each category sequentially. For instance, you could group items that increased (leisure, housing, transport) versus those that decreased (food, fuel, personal goods). Additionally, ensure that your overview highlights the most significant changes, such as the dramatic shift in food and leisure spending, rather than just stating the highest and lowest points. Overall, the response is accurate and fulfills the requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas effectively. The progression of information is generally smooth, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sets of data. To reach a higher band, focus on varying your cohesive devices further and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is always clear, avoiding repetitive sentence structures when introducing new data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly. Phrases like 'accounted for', 'remained unchanged', and 'peaked at' are used correctly. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'people spent' and 'income'. To improve, try to use synonyms or vary the subject of your sentences (e.g., 'expenditure on food', 'the proportion of income allocated to...'). There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is appropriate for the context of a data report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is generally effective. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over tense (past tense for 1968 and 2018) is consistent. There are a few minor slips, such as 'reaching to half' (should be 'reaching half') and 'highest in 2018' (which lacks an article). While you have a good grasp of grammar, incorporating more sophisticated complex structures, such as relative clauses or participle phrases, would help demonstrate a wider range and improve the flow of your writing.

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