Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The given bar chart provides information about how families spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, food accounted for the largest proportion of weekly family expenditure in 1968, while leisure became the largest category in 2018. Spending on food, fuel and power, clothing and footwear, and personal goods decreased, whereas expenditure on housing, transport and leisure increased.

As shown in the graph, the average weekly spending by families on food was over 35% in 1968, but in 2018 the percentage of spending decreased dramatically to over 17%. Housing had about 10% in 1968 and increased to just over 19% in 2018. Families' average weekly spending on fuel and power was the lowest among the other categories with just about 6% and 4% in 1968 and 2018, respectively. Clothing and footwear had over 10% in 1968, and decreased to 5% in 2018.

The average weekly spending by families on household goods was over 7% in 1968 and did not change thereafter. Personal goods also had about 7% in 1968, but in 2018 they declined to over 4%. Transport also had just over 7% like the last two categories in 1968, and had increased significantly to about 14%. In addition, families spent about 7% of their income on leisure, and the percentage grew sharply to over 22% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and highlighting the main features of the chart comparing 1968 and 2018 family spending. The student correctly identifies the largest categories at both time points (food in 1968 and leisure in 2018) and effectively groups categories into those that increased and those that decreased. Key data points and percentages are accurately cited, such as food dropping from over 35% to 17% and leisure growing to over 22%. The information is well-selected, ensuring that no major trends are omitted. This fulfills the Band 7 and Band 8 descriptors for covering all parts of the task well and presenting a clear overview.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, moves into a well-crafted overview paragraph, and then follows a logical structure for the body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used effectively to connect ideas, such as "Overall", "whereas", and "In addition". Paragraphing is handled appropriately, with the overview separated from the detailed body points. Referencing and logical sequencing of data ensure that the reader can easily follow the comparisons made between the two years, aligning well with the requirements for a Band 7.0 or Band 8.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and flexible range of vocabulary suited to describing statistical charts. Phrases like "accounted for the largest proportion," "expenditure," and "grew sharply" are used correctly. While there is some repetition of phrase structures when introducing data points (e.g., "had about..." or "spent about..."), the vocabulary is sufficient to convey precise meanings and trends. Word choices are generally natural and accurate, though occasional use of simpler verbs prevents it from reaching the highest bands. Overall, this fits the criteria for Band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The student exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and compound sentences smoothly (e.g., "Overall, food accounted for the largest proportion of weekly family expenditure in 1968, while leisure became the largest category in 2018"). Grammatical accuracy is quite high, with the majority of sentences being error-free. Control over verb tenses, particularly past simple for 1968 data, is well maintained. Punctuation is accurate, and syntactic errors are virtually non-existent, supporting a solid Band 7.5 or Band 8.0 level.

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