Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-30

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 6.0)

The bar chart shows how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, food was the biggest expense in 1968, while leisure was the biggest expense in 2018. Fuel and power had the lowest spending in both years.

In 1968, families spent about 35% of their weekly income on food. This figure fell to 17% in 2018. Spending on leisure increased from 8% in 1968 to about 22% in 2018. Transport spending also increased, from about 7% to 13%.

On the other hand, spending on personal goods fell from about 8% to 4%. Spending on household goods stayed the same at around 8% in both years. Clothing spending also decreased from about 10% in 1968 to 5% in 2018. Fuel and power fell slightly from 6% to 4%.

Finally, spending on housing increased from about 10% in 1968 to 18% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student has successfully covered all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons between 1968 and 2018. The overview clearly identifies the major shifts, noting that food was the highest expense in 1968 while leisure dominated in 2018. Key data points are accurately cited, such as food dropping from 35% to 17% and leisure rising from 8% to 22%. However, there is a minor length penalty to consider as the response is slightly below the 150-word minimum at 147 words. Despite this minor shortcoming, the information is well-selected, accurate, and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organised with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, followed by a concise overview paragraph, and then breaks down the specific categories into logical groups in subsequent paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1968', 'On the other hand', and 'Finally' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, and referencing is clear throughout the text, ensuring smooth transitions between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying data trends with functional precision. Phrases like 'biggest expense', 'fell slightly', and 'stayed the same' demonstrate a good command of descriptive language. However, the range remains somewhat standard and lacks more sophisticated or less common lexical items (such as 'plummeted', 'surged', or 'accounted for'). Spelling and word choice are accurate, ensuring that communication is never impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The bar chart shows how families in one country spent...' and 'This figure fell to 17% in 2018.' Grammatical accuracy is generally high, with frequent error-free sentences. Punctuation is handled correctly, and verbs related to past and present time frames are used accurately. The occasional presence of minor structural limitations prevents a higher band, but control over basic and intermediate grammar is solid.

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

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