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 chart exabits data about how families in a single nation consume their seven days salary in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, there are significant changes in spending patterns occurred between 1968 and 2018, with noticeable changes in the departments of foods, housing, transport and leisure.

In terms of food, the expenses decrease significantly, while in contrast the transport and leisure costs increased steadily over the fifty years period. In 1968, the higher proportion of families weekly income was dedicated to food, accounting for nearly 35% of their budget. However, by 2018, this figure had dropped drastically to approximately 15%. In contrast, housing cost searched nearly 10% to over 15% in 2018, illustrating a substantial rise over a five decade span. Additionally, transport and leisure expenses witnessed a remarkable escalation, claiming from about 10% in 1968 to over 13% and 22% in 2018 respectively. On the other hand, the category of household goods was almost the same averaging below 10% in the years 1968 and 2018.

Regarding, the other categories such as fuel and power, clothing and foot ware and personal goods saw a decline in expenses , ranging from above 5% to approximately 3% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. You have successfully identified the main trends, such as the significant decline in food spending and the rise in transport and leisure costs. The data is used effectively to support these points, and you have made relevant comparisons between the two years. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the overall changes. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, the description of housing costs as 'searching' (likely meaning 'surging') is a bit vague, and ensure that all categories mentioned in the chart are addressed with consistent precision.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'In contrast', 'Additionally', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the main trends from the minor categories. The progression of ideas is clear throughout the text. To improve, ensure that the transition between sentences is always smooth; for example, the sentence starting with 'Regarding, the other categories...' is slightly awkward due to the unnecessary comma and the phrasing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with some precision, using terms like 'significant changes', 'proportion', 'drastically', and 'escalation'. However, there are some noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'exabits' (exhibits), 'searched' (likely meant 'surged'), and 'foot ware' (footwear). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. To achieve a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure accurate spelling of technical or category-specific terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'there are significant changes... occurred' (should be 'there were significant changes that occurred' or 'significant changes occurred') and 'claiming from about 10%' (should be 'rising from'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though the comma usage after 'Regarding' is incorrect. While these errors are present, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of participial phrases.

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