Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The bar chart exhibits 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 food, housing, transport and leisure. In terms of food the expenses decreased significantly while in contrast, transport and leisure costs increased steadily over the fifty year period.

In 1968, the highest 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%. Conversely, housing costs surged from around 10% in 1968 to over 15% in 2018, illustrating a substantial rise over the five-decade span. Additionally, transport expenses witnessed a remarkable escalation, climbing from about 10% in 1968 to over 30% in 2018, signifying a significant shift in spending priorities over time.

On the other hand, categories such as fuel and power, clothing and footwear, personal goods, and leisure maintained a relatively stable share of families’ incomes in both 1968 and 2018, all remaining below 10% of total expenses. Similarly, household goods accounted for around 5% of weekly income in both years, indicating a consistent allocation towards these items despite changes in other spending categories.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively addresses the task by identifying the main trends and making relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. You successfully highlighted the significant decline in food expenditure and the notable rise in transport and leisure costs. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. However, there is a slight inaccuracy in the detail: you stated that 'leisure' maintained a stable share, whereas the chart indicates a significant increase (from roughly 9% to 22%). Additionally, some categories like 'fuel and power' actually decreased, which contradicts your claim of stability. More careful data interpretation would improve the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'Conversely', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the main trends from the more stable categories. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the referencing is generally clear. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between paragraphs is even more seamless and avoid minor mechanical repetition of sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'drastically', 'surged', 'escalation', and 'consistent allocation' effectively. This shows an attempt to use less common lexical items to describe trends. There are occasional minor inaccuracies, such as 'departments of food' (categories is more appropriate) and 'seven days salary' (weekly income is the standard collocation). Despite these small issues, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey precise meaning throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures with good control. Most sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled well. There is a minor grammatical slip in the opening sentence: 'changes... occurred' should be 'changes... that occurred' or 'changes... occurred'. Additionally, 'in a single nation' is slightly awkward; 'in one country' would be more natural. Overall, the grammatical control is strong, and errors are infrequent and do not impede communication.

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