Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The bar chart provides data related to families who spent their weekly income in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, the expenditure of families on leisure, transport, and housing increased after five decades. In other cases income consumed less than before half a century, with one exception of a household that remained unchanged.

In 1968, the highest proportion of weekly income was spent on food, with 35%, followed by housing and clothing, each with a 20% share. Additionally, the share of leisure accounted for 9% as compared to transport, personal goods, and household goods with 8% for each category. Fuel and power had the least proportion, around 6%.

In 2018, there was a significant decrease of spent income on food from 35% in 1968 to around 16% after five decades. Leisure accounted for around 22%, as compared to housing and transport with around 20% and around 15%, respectively. Personal goods and fuel had a joint share of around 5% each. Clothing had a share of 5%, while the household goods share remained unchanged after fifty years with around 8%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. The comparison between 1968 and 2018 is well-supported by specific figures, such as the decline in food expenditure from 35% to 16%. However, the overview could be more precise; for instance, stating that expenditure on 'leisure, transport, and housing increased' is accurate, but you missed noting that food saw the most dramatic change. Additionally, the phrase 'with one exception of a household that remained unchanged' is slightly confusing as it refers to a category (household goods) rather than a household itself. Overall, you covered all key features effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In 1968', 'Additionally', and 'In 2018' to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods. To reach a higher band, ensure that referencing is more precise; for example, when you mention 'one exception of a household', it is unclear. Using more varied linking phrases between sentences would also improve the flow, as some transitions feel slightly mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'expenditure', 'proportion', and 'significant decrease'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'income consumed less than before', which is slightly awkward; it would be more natural to say 'a smaller proportion of income was spent'. The phrase 'joint share' is used correctly. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations related to data trends, such as 'witnessed a sharp decline' or 'remained relatively stable'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is generally effective. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'the expenditure of families on leisure... increased' (which is correct) contrasted with 'In other cases income consumed less than before', where the subject-verb relationship is slightly unclear. Punctuation is generally accurate, and your sentences are easy to follow. To achieve a higher score, aim for more complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or participial phrases to combine information more fluidly.

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