Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-19

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 6.0)

The chart compares the data of avarage spending by a family on various things such as food, housing, power, clothing, household and personal items, transport and leisure activities in 1968 and 2018

Overall, the data indicates that in 1968, the figure of spending money was highest for food. On the other hand, in 2018,people spent most of their money on lesuire activities. While in both years, one trend was common, they both spent lowest amount on fuel and power.

In 1968, food accounted for 35%, followed by housing and clothing which stood at 10% only. While, lowest figure was recorded for fuel and power which was around 6%.

Comparing the data with 2018, it has been observed that instead of food, leisure activities accounted for the highest figure which was nearly 23%. After that, proportion of weekly spending on housing was highest which stood at approximately 19%. Moreover, in 2018, overall weekly spending percentage was lowest at around 4% on fuel and personal goods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of weekly spending in both 1968 and 2018. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting key shifts such as food being the highest expense in 1968 and leisure in 2018. Key data points are selected and compared, such as food at 35% in 1968 dropping to 17% in 2018, and leisure rising to 22% (or 'nearly 23%'). While there is a minor numerical inaccuracy regarding fuel and personal goods in 2018 (fuel and power was actually 4% while personal goods were also 4%, but fuel was not strictly the lowest alongside personal goods in the exact same way as 1968, though both were low), the response clearly covers the primary trends and comparisons required by the prompt. This performance aligns well with Band 6.5 to 7.0, comfortably meeting Band 6 criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised logically into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a body paragraph for 1968 data, and a body paragraph for 2018 data. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'On the other hand', 'While', 'In 1968', and 'Comparing the data with 2018'. However, paragraphing could be slightly more refined, and some sentences lack full stop punctuation at the very end of the text. Referencing is generally clear, though transitions between sentences occasionally feel a bit mechanical. Overall, the logical progression is clear throughout, satisfying Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, including terms like 'accounted for', 'proportion', 'spending percentage', and 'leisure activities'. There are a few spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'avarage' instead of 'average', 'lesuire' instead of 'leisure', and awkward phrasing like 'the figure of spending money'. Less common lexical items are attempted ('proportion', 'approximately'), but occasional inaccuracies occur. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas clearly without impeding the reader, placing the response solidly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using subordinate clauses such as 'While in both years, one trend was common...' and '...which was nearly 23%'. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues, including missing full stops at the end of paragraphs, incorrect article usage, and spelling mistakes. For instance, 'the figure of spending money was highest' is somewhat unnatural. However, the complex structures do not impede communication, and the basic meaning remains clear. This balance of errors and complex forms fits Band 6.

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

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