Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-21
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)
This given chart explains about the weekly expenditures of families from 1868 till 2018 on average basis, which includes basic utilities such as food, Housing, Fuel, Clothing, Goods, Transportation and leisure.
On an average basis in 1968, it has been observed that families spend 35% of their weekly income on food as compared to spending in 2018, reflecting that families are now more focused towards the housing and leisure. They like to spend more on free activities and housing.
It had also been observed that the families also spend almost 15% on transport on weekly basis as compared to spending in 1968 which was approximately 7%. Which is slightly increase.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, containing only 110 words. This significantly limits the development of the task. While the student attempts to highlight key data such as food dropping from 35% to 17% and mentions transport, the overview is weak, and several data points are misreported or vague (e.g., stating the chart goes from 1868 instead of 1968, and misquoting the 2018 transport figure as 15% instead of 14%). Because of the severe under-length and incomplete coverage of all major categories, the response aligns with Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is divided into three short paragraphs, which provides a basic structure, but the progression of ideas is disjointed. The opening paragraph introduces the chart, followed by body paragraphs that mix comparisons without clear categorisation. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'On an average basis', 'as compared to spending'). Paragraphing is present, but due to the brevity of the text, logical flow and cohesive control remain basic, meriting a Band 5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks precision and range. The student successfully uses terms like 'expenditures', 'utilities', and 'leisure', but makes noticeable errors, such as a major historical typo ('1868' instead of '1968'). Phrasing is sometimes repetitive or unnatural, such as 'reflecting that families are now more focused towards' and 'slightly increase'. These limitations place the lexical resource at a Band 5 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The text displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'This given chart explains about...' and relative clauses ('which includes basic utilities...'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are errors with prepositions and verb forms, such as 'families spend 35%' (past tense context required 'spent'), 'reflecting that families are now more focused towards' (unnecessary preposition 'towards'), and a sentence fragment ('Which is slightly increase.'). These errors cause some distraction, leading to a Band 5 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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