Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-05

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 compares the average weekly spending of families in a country in 1968 and fifty years later in 2018.

Overall, food was the most prominent part of weekly spendings in 1968, and the lowest percentage was used by fuel and power. However, in 2018, people spent more on leisure.

In 1968 , spending on the food was 35% of total weekly income, while in 2018, it decreased to approximately 17%, half of the percentage spent in past. Moreover, in 1968, fuel and power consumed the lowest weekly income, and spendings on personal goods, transport, and household goods remained at 7%. Additionally, on housing, clothing and footware, 10% of weekly income was used, while leisure consumed 8% of income.

In 2018, expenses on leisure were the greatest (22%). In addition to this, weekly expense on housing increased to 16% compared to 1968. The percentage of weekly income utilized for personal goods, fuel and power were same approximately 4%. The proportion of household goods spending remained same. The spending on food and transport decreased to 16% and 5% respectively, while that of transport rose to 14%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the data, providing a clear overview and comparing the two years effectively. You successfully identified the shift in spending priorities, such as the decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure costs. However, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you state that transport spending rose to 14% in 2018, but the chart indicates it was 14% in 1968 and decreased to 5% in 2018. Additionally, you mention that food and transport decreased to 16% and 5% respectively, which is slightly confusing given the previous error. Careful proofreading of the data against the chart is essential to ensure accuracy.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover,' 'Additionally,' and 'In addition to this' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by minor mechanical errors in referencing. For example, the transition between the 1968 data and the 2018 data is generally clear, but the final sentence of the second body paragraph is slightly muddled due to the conflicting data points mentioned. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the progression of ideas remains smooth would elevate the score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'prominent,' 'consumed,' and 'proportion' appropriately. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'spendings' (which is usually uncountable as 'spending') and 'footware' (spelled 'footwear'). You also use 'same' repeatedly, which could be improved by using synonyms like 'remained constant' or 'showed little change.' While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise collocations would demonstrate a higher level of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'the lowest percentage was used by fuel and power' (passive voice is slightly awkward here) and 'the percentage of weekly income utilized for personal goods, fuel and power were same approximately 4%' (missing 'the' and 'were the same at'). Punctuation is generally fine, though there are some spacing issues around commas. To reach a higher band, focus on reducing these minor errors and increasing the variety of complex grammatical structures used.

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