Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-04

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)

This chart provides the data about families who spent their weekly income in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, in 1968 they spent most of their income on food but it reduces with time. While in 2018 their huge amount is spent in leisure.

In 1968 families spent a large amount of their income about 35% on food while by 2018 it reduces to almost 17%. Also they spent some amount about 10 % on housing in 1968 but it doubles till 2018 and reaches to almost 20%. Their spending on fuel and power is the lowest one and also remain low in both years 1968 and 2018. Their interest in clothing and footware is high in 1968 as they spent 10% on that but it reduces to 5% in 2018.

Their expence on household goods remains same of almost 7% in 1968 and 2018. Moreover, they spent 7% on personal goods in 1968 but it decreases to 4% in 2018. They also travel as in 1968 their expence of traveling is not so much it is only 6% but it increases to 13% in 2018 as they travel more. At end they invest only 8% in leisure activities in 1968 but it become double of it in 2018 as its spending reaches to 22%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the data, including the major trends and specific comparisons between 1968 and 2018. You successfully identified the shift from food to leisure as the primary change. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped; while it mentions the shift in food and leisure, it could be more comprehensive by noting the general trend of rising costs in categories like housing and transport. The data is generally accurate, though the phrasing 'huge amount is spent in leisure' is slightly imprecise given the percentage values. Overall, the response provides a clear summary of the main trends as required by the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, moving from food and housing to other categories. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'also', 'and', 'but'). Some transitions between sentences feel abrupt, and the referencing could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the discussion of household goods and travel could be improved with better linking words to show contrast or addition. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could benefit from more varied cohesive links.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'weekly income', 'expence' (spelled incorrectly as 'expence'), and 'leisure activities'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'expence' instead of 'expense', 'footware' instead of 'footwear', and 'it reduces with time' which is slightly unnatural. The range is sufficient to convey the meaning, but the lack of precision and the recurring spelling errors prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on using more precise reporting verbs and nouns, and ensure correct spelling of common academic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'it reduces with time' (should be 'it reduced'), 'it doubles till 2018' (should be 'it doubled by 2018'), and 'it become double of it' (should be 'it doubled'). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring consistent tense usage for historical data will help improve your accuracy.

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