Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-01

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 4.5)

the bar chart give information about how families in one country spent their weakly income in 1968 and in 2018

overall,the rstio of weekly spending money both of these years the highest ratio of food and the lowest was fule and power

In detail, on the one hand more people spent for food at 35 % in 1968 and 2018 the food ratio was decreased at closed to 20 % while in 1968

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at only 73 words. While it attempts to address the chart by mentioning food spending in 1968 and 2018, it is heavily truncated and remains incomplete. Important trends and comparisons across the rest of the categories are missing. To achieve a higher band, the response must fully satisfy the length requirement and present a well-developed overview alongside supported details for multiple categories from the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The writing shows some organizational structure with basic transitional phrases like 'In detail' and 'on the one hand', but the overall progression of ideas is severely disrupted by the premature ending. Paragraphing is not properly executed, as the text trails off mid-sentence without forming a cohesive whole. Referencing and cohesive devices are inadequate and repetitive. To improve coherence and cohesion, the student must structure the text into clear, logical paragraphs with a proper introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that connect ideas smoothly from beginning to end.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with noticeable spelling and word choice errors that detract from the writing. Examples include 'weakly' instead of 'weekly', 'rstio' instead of 'ratio', and 'fule' instead of 'fuel'. The range of vocabulary is limited to very simple terms related to the prompt. To reach a higher band, the student needs to incorporate a wider and more precise range of lexical items, avoid basic spelling mistakes, and use appropriate vocabulary for discussing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammar is characterized by a very limited range of sentence structures, lacking complex forms. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, such as missing capital letters at the beginning of sentences and missing punctuation in compound statements like 'overall,the rstio'. Verb tense usage is also flawed, seen in phrases like 'the food ratio was decreased at closed to 20 %'. To improve, the writer must demonstrate control over simple and complex sentence forms and eliminate frequent errors that impede clarity.

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

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