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 | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the chart, noting the high proportion spent on food in 1968 and comparing it with 2018 figures for housing, leisure, and transport. However, there are significant data errors and historical anachronisms; the student mistakenly writes "1868" instead of "1968" and inaccurate figures are reported, such as stating that transport was "approximately 7%" in 1968 when the chart shows 8%. Furthermore, the response suffers from a major word-count penalty, as it contains only 110 words, falling well short of the mandatory 150-word minimum requirement. Consequently, task fulfillment is incomplete and under-developed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is divided into three brief paragraphs, attempting to structure an introduction and body points. However, logical progression is weak and abrupt. The transitions between sentences lack cohesive sophistication, relying on basic repetition ("as compared to spending in 2018", "It had also been observed"). Paragraphing is poorly handled, with the main body ideas squashed together without a clear overall overview statement. Referencing is occasionally unclear, leaving the reader confused about which year certain comparisons belong to.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a basic vocabulary range suitable for describing simple statistical information, using words such as "expenditures", "utilities", and "average". However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation issues, such as "explains about" instead of "illustrates" or "shows", and a factual/typographical slip with "1868". Attempts to use less common vocabulary are limited, and repetition of terms like "spending" and "on an average basis" restricts the lexical score to a modest band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is inconsistent. There are noticeable grammatical errors and fragments, such as "Which is slightly increase", which should be a relative clause or integrated properly as "which represents a slight increase". Preposition and article usage are occasionally awkward ("on average basis"). While some sentences are clear, the frequency of basic grammatical slips prevents the text from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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