Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-20

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 7.5)

The given bar chart provides data about the weekly expenditures of families in a country in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, the families' expenses on housing, transport and leisure increased in the period mentioned, while their spending on all other items decreased in this period, except for the household items, which remained constant.

In 1968, the families were spending just over one-third of their weekly income on food; however, it reduced to just under one-fifth in 2018. Their expenses for petrol and electricity, and personal items were just above 5 per cent in 1968, which dipped below 5 per cent in 2018. Their weekly spending on fashion was one-tenth in 1968, and fell to 5 per cent in 2018. Their weekly expenses on household goods remained at a plateau from 1968 to 2018. On the other hand, their housing expenses rose from one-tenth in 1968 to just under one-fifth in 2018; furthermore, public transit and leisure, which were slightly less than 10 per cent in 1968, surged to approximately 15 per cent and just below a quarter in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by selecting and reporting the main features of the bar chart comparing family expenditures in 1968 and 2018. An effective overall trend is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the categories that increased, decreased, or remained constant. Key data points are accurately cited, such as food dropping from over one-third to just under one-fifth, and leisure surging to nearly a quarter. Comparisons are made effectively throughout the response, meeting all requirements of Task Achievement at a high level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and a detailed body paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'however', 'On the other hand', and 'furthermore' are used naturally and accurately to guide the reader through the data comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing throughout the text remains clear, ensuring smooth progression and logical sequencing of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to academic report writing, successfully avoiding repetitive phrasing by using synonyms and functional paraphrases like 'weekly expenditures', 'expenses', 'petrol and electricity', and 'fashion'. Less common lexical items and phrasing such as 'remained at a plateau', 'surged', and 'approximately' are used with good awareness of style and collocation, resulting in a natural flow with only minor limitations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

A good variety of complex sentence structures is deployed effectively, such as 'while their spending on all other items decreased in this period, except for the household items, which remained constant.' The majority of sentences are error-free, and control of punctuation and tense consistency is strong throughout the response. Minor slips do not impede communication, matching the criteria for a band 8 performance well.

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

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