Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-08

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 line graph illustrates how the families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. In 1968, food accounted for approximately 35% of weekly income, While, in 2018, families spent only 18% of their income on food which shows huge difference in families in 1968 and in 2018. The line graph shows that the families in 1968 spent their weekly income on housing is less then families in 2018, But the families in 1968 and in 2018 had equally spent of their weekly income in fuel and power.

On the other hand, families in 1968 spent their 10% on clothing and footwear, families in 2018 spent only 5% of their weekly income. Personal goods decreased marginally from 7% to 4% over the same period. However, 1n 1968 families spent less income on transport, While, in 2018 families spent more on transport. In 2018, leisure accounted for approximately 22% of weekly income, While, in 1968, families spent only 7% of their weekly income on leisure

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, such as the significant decline in food expenditure and the rise in leisure spending. However, the report is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview or summary of the most striking trends. While the key figures are included, the comparison between 1968 and 2018 is sometimes repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should group the data more logically—perhaps by categories that increased versus those that decreased—and ensure the overview highlights the most significant shifts rather than just listing individual data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical and sometimes incorrect, such as the frequent, unnecessary use of 'While,' at the start of clauses or mid-sentence with incorrect capitalization. The transition between sentences feels disjointed at times. Improving the flow by using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'in contrast,' 'conversely,' 'meanwhile') and ensuring that referencing is accurate would significantly improve the coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic verbs like 'spent' and 'accounted for.' There are also some awkward phrasings, such as 'equally spent of their weekly income.' To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' (e.g., 'surged,' 'plummeted,' 'witnessed a marginal decline') and ensure that collocations are natural. The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect preposition usage ('spent their 10% on'), punctuation errors (unnecessary commas and capitalization of 'While'), and awkward phrasing ('spent their weekly income on housing is less then'). The comparison 'less then' should be 'less than.' While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct sentence construction will help improve your accuracy.

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

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