Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-09
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 chart illustrates the comparison of how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.
In the chart, there are eight things which are compared. Firstly, if we talk about the food, there is a severe drop in the percentage of weekly income spent on food. Back in 1968, people spent around 35 percent of their weekly income on food, on the other hand it remained approximately 17 percent in 2018.
The only item which remained unchange was household goods, people spent some amount on these goods. The thing which observed the major change is the Leisure. In 2018 people spent most of their weekly income on leisure as compare to 1968.
Housing is an another thing on which people are spending most of their money. In the past people did not spend much as compare to 2018.
In 2018, people did not consume much of their weekly income on clothing and footware; However in 2018, transport was much expensive than 1968. Moreover people also did not exhaust their major weekly income on personal goods and fuel and power.
Taking everything into account, there are changes in trends by the time. Subsequently it can be seen from the chart.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides a general overview but fails to adequately report the data. While it identifies some trends, it lacks precision and fails to include key figures for several categories mentioned. The comparison is often vague (e.g., 'people did not spend much'), which does not meet the requirement to report main features with data. Furthermore, the analysis of the chart is incomplete, as it misses several categories entirely or groups them in a way that obscures the specific data points. To improve, ensure that every major trend mentioned is supported by accurate data from the chart and that all categories are addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate (e.g., 'Subsequently it can be seen from the chart'). The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. While there is an attempt to group information, the lack of clear topic sentences and the repetitive structure of the paragraphs hinder the flow. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'things' instead of 'categories' or 'items', and 'exhaust their major weekly income' which is not a natural collocation in this context. The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles to use more sophisticated or precise terms to describe the data trends. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using a wider range of vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'accounted for', and 'proportion'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The only item which remained unchange' (should be 'unchanged'), 'as compare to' (should be 'compared to'), and 'transport was much expensive' (should be 'much more expensive'). Subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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