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 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 categories, the proportion of income spent is lower than it was before, with one exception of a household category 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 lowest proportion, around 6%.

In 2018, there was a significant decrease in spending 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 each held a share of around 5%. Clothing had a share of 5%, while the household goods share remained stable after fifty years with around 8%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers all key features of the chart, providing a clear overview and supporting details for both 1968 and 2018. You successfully identified the most significant trends, such as the dramatic decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure spending. The comparison between the two years is well-integrated. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with absolute precision; for instance, stating 'around 16%' is acceptable, but ensure your comparisons between categories are consistently accurate to avoid any ambiguity in the data reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the two distinct years. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you use cohesive devices such as 'additionally', 'as compared to', and 'while' effectively to link information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the years. The flow is natural, and the referencing is clear throughout the text, making the information easy to follow for the reader.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'proportion of income', 'significant decrease', and 'remained stable' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is functional and appropriate for an Academic Task 1, it is somewhat standard. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or varied synonyms to describe trends, such as 'plummeted' for the food category or 'marginal fluctuation' for stable categories, which would show more flexibility and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is solid. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. To move into the higher bands, try to vary your sentence structure further by using more advanced subordinating conjunctions or participle clauses (e.g., 'Having accounted for 35% in 1968, food expenditure dropped to...'). Overall, your grammatical control is strong and consistent throughout the piece.

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

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