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 35% in 1968, but in 2018 the percentage of spending decreased dramatically to 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 all the 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 8% in 1968 and did not change thereafter. Personal goods also had about 8% in 1968, but in 2018 they declined to over 4%. Transport also had just over 8% like the last two categories in 1968, and increased significantly to about 14%. In addition, families spent about 7% of their income on leisure, and the percentage grew sharply to 22% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student provides a clear and well-structured overview of the main features shown in the chart, accurately comparing weekly family spending between 1968 and 2018. The response successfully identifies key trends, such as the dramatic decrease in food spending from 35% to 17% and the rise of leisure as the largest expenditure category at 22%. All major categories are covered, and accurate data points are cited to support the statements, fulfilling the requirements for Task Achievement at a high level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, followed by a well-conceived overview paragraph that summarizes the main trends, and subsequent body paragraphs that group data logically. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'whereas', and 'in addition' are used appropriately to link ideas, and paragraphing is managed effectively to separate general trends from specific data figures.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, utilizing terms like 'proportion', 'expenditure', 'category', and 'significantly'. There are some repeated phrasings when introducing data points, such as 'had about' or 'spending by families on', which limits the flexibility of lexical choice, but the vocabulary used is precise enough to convey the information clearly without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writing contains a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, featuring subordinate clauses and effective comparative constructions ('whereas expenditure on housing... increased'). Grammatical accuracy is generally high with frequent error-free sentences, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout. Minor repetitive sentence frames occur in the final paragraph, but these do not detract from the overall clarity and control of grammar.

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