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)

We can clearly make compare the people used to spent in the early ages and how people spend now.

In the early 1968, people spend major portion of their income on food. Food was most important to them. They almost spent the same amount of housing and for dressing which is almost half of the amount they used to spend food. Then comes the goods including both household and personal goods, they spend a almost 7-8% on both individually. And they almost spend the same amount for transport. The 8-9% of their income was used for leisure. And they spend spend the least portion of their income on fuel and power.

However on the other hand, people now in 2018. spend the major part of their income on leisure. Then they spend like 18% on housing and 16% on food. On the rest of things they spend a very little portion upto 5% on everything individually. Only transport consumes almost 9%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the chart, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identified the major spending categories for 1968 and 2018, the comparison is limited. For example, you mention that food was the major portion in 1968, but you do not provide specific data points to support this, and the description of 2018 is slightly inaccurate regarding the 'major part' (the chart shows housing as the highest category in 2018, not leisure). To reach a higher band, ensure you accurately report the data provided and make more direct comparisons between the two years rather than listing them separately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into three short paragraphs, which provides a basic structure. However, the progression of ideas is mechanical. You use some cohesive devices like 'However' and 'on the other hand', but the flow between sentences is often disjointed. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the lack of a clear overview or summary sentence at the beginning or end makes the logical progression feel weak. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic phrases such as 'spend the major part' and 'spend the same amount'. There is little evidence of a range of vocabulary suitable for describing data trends (e.g., 'accounted for', 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'surpassed'). Furthermore, there are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'in the early 1968' (should be 'In 1968') and 'on the rest of things' (should be 'on other categories'). Expanding your range of descriptive verbs and nouns related to statistics is essential.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and prepositions, such as 'people used to spent' (should be 'people used to spend') and 'spend a almost 7-8%' (should be 'spent almost 7-8%'). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are problematic throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar limits the score. You should focus on mastering simple sentence construction before attempting more complex structures.

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