Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07
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 5.0)
The bar-graphs represents the information about families weekly expenses in one nation between in1968 and in 2018.
overall, the expanses in 1968 was more food items while expanses in 2018 more in the activity of leisure.
In 1968, the expenditure on food items was about 35 percent , followed the second popular item clothing and footware was 10 percent and personal good was about 8 percent. These items were more trending then the recent times. however, the expenses on the household good was almost same in the both times frames.
In 2018, the expenses was more popular on lesuire for instances 23 percent. Likewise, the expenditure in housing was about 18 percent and followed by transport 14 percent. Although the expanses was more then earlier period. on the other hand the expanses of weekly income decreases drastically in food items by half about 17 percent and similar trend in clothing and footware and personal goods.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the data, identifying key trends such as the shift from food expenditure to leisure. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention percentages, the comparison between the two years could be more precise. For instance, you note that household goods remained 'almost same', which is a good observation, but the overall summary lacks a clear, cohesive overview of the most significant changes. The data reporting is generally accurate, but the lack of a clear distinction between categories makes the report feel slightly disjointed. To improve, ensure you group your data logically and provide a more comprehensive overview in the introduction.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'followed the second popular item' and 'on the other hand the expanses of weekly income' lack the necessary connecting words to flow naturally. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between the 1968 and 2018 data points could be smoother. While there is an overall progression, the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the text feel repetitive and slightly disjointed in places.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but shows limited range and frequent errors. You use the word 'expanses' repeatedly when you mean 'expenses' or 'expenditure'. There are also spelling errors such as 'lesuire' (leisure) and 'footware' (footwear). The phrasing is often unnatural, such as 'more trending then the recent times'. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise terminology related to data description (e.g., 'accounted for', 'witnessed a decline', 'remained stable') and ensure correct spelling of key terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes impede clarity. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'The bar-graphs represents' and 'the expenses was'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas and periods. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction and verb tense usage prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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