Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The bar chart illustrates the information about weekly expenditure of families in one country in different eight categories in the year 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, it is clear that food had the highest figure, whereas perosnal goods were recorded for the lowest. Household goods remained stable in both year respectively.

In 1968, Food stood at 35%, which is higher compared to 2018 by around 17%. In 1968 housing had the lowest figure than in 2018 by approximately 12%. In 2018, fuel and power had decreased by 6% compared to 1968.

In 1968, clothing and footware were at 10%, which is doubled than 2018. Similarly, Household goods were remained unchanged in both year. In 1966, personal goods were at 8%, which increased twice than in 2018. The number of transport in 2018 was 14% and 8% in 1968. In 1968, leisure was at 8%, which exceeded to around 23% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the task by reporting on the main features of the chart, but it contains several inaccuracies and contradictory statements regarding the data. For instance, the overview incorrectly states that personal goods recorded the lowest figure and that household goods remained stable, whereas the data shows other categories had lower values in certain years and household goods actually changed from 8% to 8% (which is stable, but the explanation is simplistic). Furthermore, details such as 'housing had the lowest figure than in 2018 by approximately 12%' and the claim about personal goods 'increased twice than in 2018' misinterpret the figures provided in the chart. The selection of data is somewhat mechanical and lacks a fully developed overview, meaning the response addresses the prompt only partially.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is organised into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for different categories of data. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disrupted by confusing comparisons. Cohesive devices are used, but they tend to be repetitive or somewhat mechanical, such as the frequent repetition of 'In 1968' at the beginning of sentences. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks sophistication, preventing the text from achieving a smooth and logical progression throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task, with frequent reliance on basic terms and noticeable errors in word choice and form. Examples include spelling and word formation mistakes such as 'perosnal', 'footware', and 'foot-ware', as well as awkward phrasing like 'recorded for the lowest' and 'exceeded to around 23%'. While the writer attempts to use some less common vocabulary related to data reporting, inaccuracies in collocation and word form occasionally cause difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from reaching a higher level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response exhibits a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic subject-verb-object patterns. Attempts at complex sentences often result in grammatical errors, such as 'which is higher compared to 2018 by around 17%' and 'which is doubled than 2018'. There are frequent errors in prepositions, comparisons, and passive/active voice structures, for example saying 'Household goods were remained unchanged'. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader, though the core meaning is generally still decipherable.

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