Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28

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)

The bar charts compares the information about how families spend their weekly income in eight different categories in the years , 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, all of item income was increased except four , food, clothing and footware, personal goods and fuel and petrol. Those declined while the household goods remains same in both years.

Spending of income is decreased in food and clothing and footware. In 1958 the 35% of weekly income spent on food and 10% on clothing and footware its decreased significantly and reached 18% in food and just 5% in clothing and footware in 2018. Moreover, personal goods also declined in periods. Fuel and power had low absorbed income those years just a small amount 6% in 1968 and 4% in 2018.

In 2018 Housing and leisure spend more income as compared to others which is 18% and 22% respectively. while household good reduce same income in both years. Income of transport had increased 7% between those years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by comparing weekly spending in 1968 and 2018 across various categories. An overview is attempted, stating that most items increased except for food, clothing, personal goods, and fuel. However, the data reporting contains several inaccuracies and contradictions with the provided chart. For instance, the student states that 'household goods remains same', whereas the chart shows an increase from 8% to roughly 14-15% (or 8% in both? Wait, the transcription lists household goods as 8% in 1968 and 8% in 2018, which aligns with the text, but housing and leisure show significant shifts). There are also erroneous figures, such as stating spending reached 18% in food when the chart indicates 17%. Furthermore, the timeline reference mentions '1958' instead of 1968. Overall, the response partially covers the task with noticeable inaccuracies in data selection and reporting, fitting Band 5.0 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into four paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific categories. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by confusing statements and poor referencing. For example, the sentence 'Overall, all of item income was increased except four...' is syntactically muddled and confusing. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or incorrectly, such as the abrupt transitions between sentences in the third paragraph. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within sentences is often weak, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparisons smoothly. This level of organisation and cohesion aligns with a Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple verbs and nouns such as 'spend', 'income', 'increase', and 'decline'. There are notable word choice errors and unnatural collocations, such as 'Fuel and power had low absorbed income those years'. Spelling and word formation issues also appear, such as 'footware' instead of 'footwear'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary items (e.g., 'significantly'), but control is limited and inaccuracies impede precision. The lexical range is minimally adequate for the task, corresponding to a Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response features a very limited range of grammatical structures. Simple sentences dominate, and attempts at complex or compound sentences often result in severe structural errors and punctuation slips, such as 'In 1958 the 35% of weekly income spent on food and 10% on clothing and footware its decreased significantly...' (missing auxiliary verb and incorrect preposition use). Run-on sentences and fragments are present throughout the text. Frequent grammatical errors cause difficulty for the reader and obscure meaning in places. This performance fits the Band 5.0 descriptors for grammatical range and accuracy.

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