Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-29

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 chart illustrates information about how much familiies spent their weekly income on food, housing, fuel & power, clothing and footware, household goods, personal goods, transport and on Leisure in one country in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, in 1968 the highest weekly proportion recorded as 35% for food category and the lowest figure was recorded for fuel and power is 6% while housing and clothing & footware category marked as 10% for average weekly expenditure. whereas household goods, personal goods and transport remain equal at 7% however, leisure is slightly higher about 8%

In 2008, Leisure is recorded the highest proportion at 23% and the lowest figures recorded for personal goods and fuel and power 4% each whereas, housing, food and transport recorded slightly similar figures approximately at 19%,16% and 14% each. Where all other categories recorded moderate low as clothing and footware, household goods recorded 5% and 8% respectively.

In conclusion, in 1968 the higest proportion recorded for food where people spent their 35% weekly income in contrast the least proportion they spent on fuel and power. in compaision in 2018 the highest proportion is Leisure about 23% where the least they spent on fuel and power or personal goods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover all major categories shown in the chart for both years (1968 and 2018), selecting key features such as food being the highest in 1968 (35%) and leisure taking over in 2018 (around 22-23%). However, there are numerous data inaccuracies when compared to the visual reference. For instance, the student states that in 1968 household goods, personal goods, and transport remained equal at 7%, whereas the chart shows them at 8%. Similarly, for 2018, the student misquotes several percentages (e.g., food at 16% instead of 17%, leisure at 23% instead of 22%), and makes a chronological error by referring to the year 2008 instead of 2018. Despite these data misreadings, an overview and comparisons are attempted, but the inaccuracies pull the score down to Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is structured into four paragraphs, including an introduction, two body paragraphs focusing on the different years, and a brief conclusion. There is a basic organizational structure. However, cohesive devices are often mechanical, repetitive, or inaccurate, such as the overuse of 'whereas', 'where', and 'in contrast'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal logical progression within the body paragraphs is disrupted by poor referencing and listing of figures without clear grouping. The transition words do not always signal the logical relationship accurately. This places the response firmly in Band 5.0 for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate vocabulary range to discuss weekly income, spending categories, and proportions (e.g., 'illustrates', 'proportion', 'expenditure', 'category'). However, there are frequent lexical errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'familiies', 'footware' (repeatedly misspelled instead of footwear), and awkward phrasing like 'spent their weekly income on' versus 'how much families spent their weekly income'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success and noticeable inaccuracies. Word choice and collocation are frequently awkward, leading to a Band 5.0 level of lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent errors in verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and clause structures, such as 'the highest weekly proportion recorded as 35%', 'the lowest figure was recorded for fuel and power is 6%', and 'where people spent their 35% weekly income'. Punctuation is also problematic, with run-on sentences lacking commas or full stops (e.g., running clauses together with 'whereas' or 'however'). These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning with the Band 5.0 descriptors.

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