Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-12
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 chart illustrates the information of the weekly wages of families in same country in the year 1968 and 2018.
As an overview, the families spent their maximum income for food in 1968, whereas the members of the family spends their mostly wages in leisure in the year 2018.
Firstly, the consumption of expenditure is mostly same for fuel and power and, household goods in 1968 and 2018 but there is a huge difference in the spending of leisure and food. It shows the highest income was spent in 2018 is only for leisure but the least is for personal goods.
Secondly, it shows that the families in same country were spending their least income in 1968 is for transport, personal goods and, fuel and power. Furthermore, the leisure has the low percentage of spending expenditure, whereas, it has the higher percentage of income in 2018. Clothing and footware also varies in 2018 and 1968.
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 attempts to address the task by comparing weekly spending in 1968 and 2018, noting major shifts such as food versus leisure. However, the report lacks specific data points or accurate figures from the chart, relying instead on vague generalisations like 'mostly wages in leisure' and 'highest income was spent in 2018 is only for leisure.' Furthermore, the overview and body paragraphs contain contradictory statements regarding spending levels for various categories. While the main features are touched upon, the lack of data support and lack of clear comparative synthesis mean the task is only partially satisfied. This places the response firmly at Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized with basic sequencing markers such as 'As an overview', 'Firstly', and 'Secondly', but the overall logical progression is weak. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks clarity. Cohesive devices are frequently misused or awkward, such as 'the consumption of expenditure is mostly same' and 'furthermore, the leisure has the low percentage'. Repetition of referencing terms like 'it shows that' creates a mechanical flow. While paragraphs are present, the internal cohesion and logical connections between sentences are frequently faulty, leading to a Band 5 performance.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and frequently inappropriate for an academic report. The student uses unnatural collocations and awkward phrasing, such as 'weekly wages of families', 'consumption of expenditure', and 'personal goods'. There are basic vocabulary items used repeatedly, alongside frequent word-choice errors like 'spends their mostly wages'. Although the reader can generally discern the intended topic (spending categories), the lexical limitations and errors cause noticeable difficulty and restrict the score to Band 4.5, rounded to Band 5 based on overall adequacy of basic terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as tense and verb form inconsistencies ('families... spends their mostly wages', 'income was spent in 2018 is only for leisure', 'least income in 1968 is for transport'). Preposition and article errors are also prevalent. While some sentences are comprehensible, the high frequency of structural and grammatical errors often hinders smooth reading, aligning the grammar with Band 4.5, which rounds to a Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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