Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-23

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 6.5)

The chart compares the average weekly spending of families in 1968 and in 2018 in one country.

Overall, it is evident that the highest proportion of the income was spent on food in 1968, whereas leisure spending was the highest in 2018. Interestingly, an equal percentage of earnings was spent on household goods in both years.

In terms of food, roughly 17.5% of the income was spent in 2018, which was less than half the figure in 1968. Similarly, expenses on clothing and footwear accounted for 10% in 1968 and 5% in 2018. In 1968, money spent on personal goods accounted for approximately 8%; however, it dropped to roughly 4% in 2018. Additionally, fuel and power also declined in 2018, reaching below 5%.

On the other hand, income allocated for housing increased from 10% to roughly 18% in 2018. Similarly, leisure stood at 22% in 2018, which was previously remained at roughly 9%. Furthermore, in 1968 only around 8% of weekly income was allocated for transportation, which increased, reaching roughly 14% in 2018. Interestingly, household goods stood at approximately 8% in both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and making relevant comparisons between the two years, 1968 and 2018. Key features are accurately identified, such as the dramatic decrease in food spending from 35% to 17% and the rise in leisure spending from 9% to 22%. Data points are cited effectively to support the description, for instance, noting that housing increased from 10% to roughly 18%. The response satisfies all requirements of Task 1 by selecting and reporting the main features without unnecessary listing. A band score of 7.0 is well-deserved here.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The text presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are structured effectively into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs comparing the categories that decreased and increased. Cohesive devices are used flexibly, such as 'Interestingly', 'In terms of', and 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different trends. However, cohesion is slightly mechanical in places, preventing a higher band score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, employing terms like 'proportion', 'earnings', 'allocated', and 'accounted for'. Less common items and paraphrasing are attempted appropriately, for instance, 'income allocated for housing' and 'expenses on clothing and footwear'. There are occasional slight inaccuracies, such as reading 35% as 'roughly 17.5%' for food in one instance or minor awkwardness, but the range is adequate to convey precise meaning comfortably.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and comparative structures such as 'which was less than half the figure in 1968'. There is a minor grammatical slip in the fourth paragraph: 'which was previously remained at roughly 9%', where the passive construction is incorrectly mixed with an active past tense verb. However, frequent error-free sentences demonstrate a good overall control of grammar and punctuation, supporting a solid band 7.0.

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

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