Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-03

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

At the fleeting glance, the highest element of the graph is food, during 1968, 35% of money was spent on it. Followed by, in 2018, almost 22% of income was spent on leisure. However, the lowest money was spent on fuel, power and personal goods during 2018, which was approximately 3%.

Moving ahead, same proportion of income was spent on household goods in both 1968 and 2018, 8%. Moreover, in 1968, the income spent on transport was nearly 7%, which was doubled in 2018, 14%. Furthermore, in 1968 and 2018, the difference between income spent was roughly 9% in housing, the money spent was 10% and 19%, respectively.

Overall, the maximum money spent on food and the minimum income spent on fuel and power.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the shift in spending on food and leisure. However, it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the overall task completion. While the key trends are identified, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the comparison of transport and housing is accurate, but the overall summary is quite brief and lacks a more comprehensive synthesis of the data. To improve, ensure all data points are clearly presented and the word count threshold is met to allow for a more thorough exploration of the trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Moving ahead', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of information is generally clear, moving from general observations to specific category comparisons. However, the connection between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task, but the brevity of the response limits the development of a more sophisticated structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, covering the necessary terminology related to charts and spending (e.g., 'proportion', 'income', 'approximately'). There are some awkward phrasings, such as 'At the fleeting glance' (should be 'At a fleeting glance' or 'At a glance') and 'the lowest money was spent' (which is slightly unnatural). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and varied collocations to describe trends and changes in data more fluently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Followed by, in 2018' (a sentence fragment) and 'the lowest money was spent' (incorrect phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor issues with comma usage. While the meaning is clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being considered error-free. To improve, focus on sentence construction and ensuring that all sentences are complete and grammatically sound, particularly when describing comparative data.

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

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