Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11

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 picture illustrates information about how families spend their weekly income between 1968 and 2018 about 60 years in one country.

The given picture give information about their average weekly expense in families, there are different types of expense like food,housing, fuel and power, clothing and footwear, transport, personal good and households good , etc. In 1968, families spend their money more on their food by 35% of their income and the most lowest spending of their income is on fuel and power about 10%. While, in 2018 peoples spend there money more on the leisure by nearly 23%. Furthermore, if we see that the housing, clothing and footwear are stand on the fixed percent by 10% of there income in 1968, and person good, transport households goods are on approximately 8% in the week.

However, in 2018 families don't spend there money in clothing, footwear , personal goods and their as compare to 1968 .

In my opinion, the families in 2018 save their money more as we see people spend a lot on extra things in 1968.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to provide a clear overview of the main trends. While it mentions some figures, the analysis is inaccurate and lacks a logical comparison between the two years. For example, the claim that families in 2018 do not spend money on clothing or personal goods is factually incorrect based on the chart. Furthermore, the inclusion of personal opinion ('In my opinion...') is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report, which requires an objective summary of the data. The response lacks a clear selection of key features, leading to a disjointed and incomplete summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is limited and often mechanical or misused, such as the abrupt transition 'However, in 2018...'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between 1968 and 2018. The paragraphing is present but does not effectively separate the introduction, overview, and body details, resulting in a lack of overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, often relying on the words provided in the prompt. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'most lowest' (a double superlative) and 'person good' instead of 'personal goods'. The student struggles to use precise terminology to describe the data, often resorting to vague phrasing. The range is limited, and the errors in spelling and word formation occasionally hinder the clarity of the information presented.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The given picture give', 'families spend their money... is on fuel'), incorrect verb tenses, and confusion between 'there' and 'their'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While the meaning is generally discernible, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar limits the range and accuracy, preventing the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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