Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The chart below gives us information related to the families weekly income and how much they spend in 1968 and 2018. The chart suggest that there is a significant decrease in weekly income and spending on food from 1968 to 2018. The chart clearly shows that in 1968 people spend 35 percent of there weekly income on food items, comparatively this number decreases to almost 15 percent in 2018. However people spend almost 23 percent of weekly income in leisure time in 2018 as compare to 1968 which was 9 percent. In a nutshell people focus change from food to leisure time from 1968 to 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop the response. While you have identified two main trends—the decrease in food spending and the increase in leisure spending—the report is far too brief. You have omitted several other categories present in the chart (such as housing, transport, or clothing), which are necessary for a complete summary. To achieve a higher band, you must provide a more comprehensive overview of all data points and ensure the response meets the length requirement to allow for sufficient detail and comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is very short, consisting of only one paragraph. While there is a basic attempt at logical flow using transition words like 'However' and 'In a nutshell', the lack of paragraphing and the brevity of the text make it difficult to demonstrate a range of cohesive devices. The progression of ideas is limited because the analysis is not extended. To improve, you should structure your response into clear paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group related data together, using a wider variety of linking words to connect your sentences and ideas more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is functional but basic. You rely on simple phrasing such as 'gives us information' and 'people focus change'. There is little attempt to use academic or topic-specific vocabulary related to data analysis (e.g., 'expenditure', 'proportion', 'fluctuated', 'accounted for'). Additionally, there are minor errors such as 'there' instead of 'their' and 'as compare to' instead of 'compared to'. To improve, focus on incorporating more precise synonyms for describing trends and ensure you use the correct forms of words in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'The chart suggest' (subject-verb agreement), 'people spend' (tense inconsistency, as the data is from the past), and 'as compare to' (incorrect prepositional phrase). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of complex sentence structures limits your ability to demonstrate grammatical range. To improve, practice using a variety of complex sentences, such as those using relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions, and pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing historical data.

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

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