Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given bar chart illustrates weekly income spent by families in one country in 1968 and in 2018. The data is calibrated in a percentage.

Overall, it is crystal clear that families had spent more income on food in first year and spent least of their income on personal goods and fuel and power in last year.

At a fleeting glance, highest income is depleted on food in the initial year measured as 35% which shows sharp decrease in the last year above 25% which is followed by clothing and footwear and housing are almost similar around 10% in 1968. Although, housing is second highest recorded where families had spent their income in 2018 nearby 20%. The income spent on fuel and power gradually decreases from 6% to 4% comparing both the years.

Moreover, the income spent on household goods are roughly similar ranging between 8% to 10%. Others like personal goods and transport are also approximately similar at 8% whereas amount spent on leisure shows some growth in the second year. Amount spent on these facilities had started rising which starts from around 8% to 9% to 22-25% and highest income in 2018 is spent on leisure only.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying the shift in spending from food to leisure. However, the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. For instance, the statement that food spending showed a 'sharp decrease... above 25%' is confusingly phrased and inaccurate regarding the data. Furthermore, the description of the 2018 leisure figures (22-25%) is vague rather than precise. While the main trends are identified, the reporting of specific data points lacks the precision required for a higher band. The overview is present but could be more clearly integrated to highlight the most significant changes over the fifty-year period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'At a fleeting glance', and 'Moreover'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'At a fleeting glance', which is not standard for academic reports. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the internal cohesion within sentences is occasionally strained by awkward phrasing, making some comparisons difficult to follow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and sophistication expected at higher levels. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'calibrated in a percentage' (instead of 'measured in percentages'), 'depleted on food' (which implies exhaustion rather than expenditure), and 'nearby 20%' (instead of 'approximately 20%'). While the student attempts to use a range of vocabulary, the inaccuracies in collocation and word choice occasionally impede the clarity of the report. A more formal, academic tone would improve the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the flow of the text. Examples include 'in first year' (missing articles), 'which starts from around 8% to 9% to 22-25%' (clunky structure), and 'amount spent on household goods are' (subject-verb agreement error). While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the intended meaning, they occur frequently enough to be noticeable. More attention to articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement would significantly enhance the accuracy of the writing.

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