Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-14

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 illustrate the information of spending the weekly income in 1968 ans 2018. At a glance, it is seen that over 50 years the highest spending is on food and the lowest spending is on fuel and power.

Overall, it is observed that many types of categories are there which include food, housing, fuel and power, clothing and footware, household goods, personal goods, transport and leisure respectively.

In 1968, the highest spending was on food which was 80% and in 2018, it was decline to 18%. The percentage of spending on housing was less in 1968 and in 2018 it is increased to almost 20%. the amount of spending in fuel and power remained the less over 50 years about 5%.

In the category of household goods the spending remained the same over 50 years which is 8%. In the spending of personal good the percentage was more in 1968 compared to 2018. In the category of leisure the spending is more in 2018 compared to 1968 which is 22%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by summarizing the main features of weekly spending in 1968 and 2018. An overview is provided in the opening paragraph, and some key comparisons are made, such as the drop in food spending from 80% to 18%. However, there are notable inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that food spending in 1968 was 80%, and mentions that housing increased to almost 20% in 2018 while it was 'less' in 1968. Some categories are listed rather than properly analyzed, and certain details lack precision. Consequently, the response demonstrates a partial overview with some underdeveloped or inaccurate reporting, aligning it with Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into four paragraphs, providing a basic structure with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs discussing specific categories. However, the logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing ('the spending remained the same over 50 years', 'in the category of') and a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of information feels somewhat disjointed. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as ambiguous pronoun use or abrupt transitions between sentences. While the overall arrangement allows the reader to follow the general topic, the mechanical use of cohesive devices and lack of smooth progression place this at Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses a limited range of vocabulary appropriate to the task, including basic terms like 'spending', 'income', 'food', and 'housing'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'spending the weekly income' instead of 'weekly income spending', 'personal good' instead of 'personal goods', and spelling/morphology issues like 'footware' instead of 'footwear'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success ('it was decline to 18%'). Although the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic, frequent word-choice errors and a restricted range prevent the score from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'At a glance, it is seen that over 50 years the highest spending is on food...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies ('is illustrate', 'it was decline', 'it is increased', 'the spending is more'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing. These errors frequently cause strain or difficulty for the reader. While some basic sentences are controlled, the high frequency of grammatical inaccuracies in complex structures means the response fits the Band 5.0 descriptor.

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

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