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 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 with the same proportion after fifty years.

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 features and provided a clear overview of the trends. You covered all categories and made relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. The data is accurately reported, and the distinction between the two years is clear. To reach a higher band, ensure your overview is more precise; for example, instead of saying 'in other cases income consumed less', specify that this refers to the majority of categories. Additionally, ensure that all data points are clearly linked to the specific year to avoid any ambiguity for the reader.

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', 'In 2018', and 'as compared to' to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two time periods. To improve, try to vary your cohesive devices further to avoid repetitive structures. Some transitions between sentences could be smoother; for instance, the transition between the general overview and the specific data in the first body paragraph could be more fluid.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'expenditure', 'proportion', and 'category' correctly. However, there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'income consumed less than before half a century' and 'significant decrease of spent income'. These phrases are slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on more precise collocations. For example, instead of 'spent income', use 'expenditure on' or 'spending on'. Expanding your range of synonyms for 'increased' and 'decreased' would also help to elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. However, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'with one exception of a household with the same proportion' and 'the least proportion, around 6%'. The latter should be 'the smallest proportion'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.

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

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