Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The bar chart delineates the data about how household in one country spent their weekly pay in 1968 and in 2018. Whereas it is given in percentages.

The bars of graph are separated by years as well as by spendings. There was a major gap for food expense between both years, in addition it was the highest paid thing in 1968.

Starting from daily need like food it had taken 35% in 1968 and about 17% in 2018 of total income. Another is accommodation which had got 10% in 1968 and nearly 19% in 2018 of 7days spending. Further about clothing and footwear had got 10% in 1968 and 5% in 2018 from salary of a week.

Other needed things: Fuel and electricity had 6% in 1968 and 4%in 2018, then transportation got 8%in 1968 and 14% in 2018 of total wage. Pay for the household and personal goods was average 7% in 1968 and 5% in 2018. Further, spent on leisure was 9% in 1968 and 22% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying key trends such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure and transport costs. However, the overview is weak; the second sentence, 'Whereas it is given in percentages,' is a fragment and does not effectively summarise the main trends. While the data is generally accurate, the report lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the most significant changes between 1968 and 2018. The information is presented as a list of facts rather than a comparative analysis, which limits the development of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices. Phrases like 'Another is' and 'Further about' are used mechanically and do not always create smooth transitions between ideas. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall flow feels disjointed. While the paragraphing is present, the internal cohesion within paragraphs is basic, relying on simple additive connectors rather than a variety of linking words that would help the reader follow the comparison more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student relies on repetitive phrasing such as 'had got' and 'spent on'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'highest paid thing' instead of 'highest expenditure category' and 'daily need' to describe a category of spending. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated control over the language required for an academic report.

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. Issues include missing articles ('The bars of graph'), incorrect preposition usage ('spent on leisure'), and awkward phrasing ('Whereas it is given in percentages'). Subject-verb agreement and sentence construction are often faulty, such as 'how household in one country spent'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms, keeping the score in the mid-range.

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