Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-02

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 chart illustrates that how families in one country spent their weekly income in eight different categories in 1968 to 2018.

Overall, the chart evident that the families in 1968 spent more likely in food and then declined gradually in different categories. In 2018, families can spent their weekly income in different ways with sometimes increasing significantly and then decreased gradualy to increase furtherly.

In 1968. the families in the same country can spent their weekly income more than in food and then rise to spent it in housing, fuel and power. Although it is remained change the percentage to 10% and then between 7% constant and then grew up gradually 9% in leasure.

By 2018, the chart show that the families spent their expenses in food approximately 14% and then rose instantly between 18% in housing. Furthermore, the expense rate decreased rapidly in fuel and power and then remained changes sometimes and remained constant between 4% to 7% in clothing and footware to household goods and moreover personal goods. In addition, the percentage becomes more went up significantly between 14% to 22% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the prompt by comparing the weekly spending of families in 1968 and 2018 across multiple categories. However, the task is only partially addressed because the overview lacks clarity and key features are inadequately reported. The opening statement contains awkward phrasing ("The chart illustrates that how families"), and the summary attempts fail to clearly highlight the most significant trends, such as the dramatic drop in food expenditure and the rise in leisure spending. Furthermore, several data points are misreported or confusingly described, such as claiming families spent "approximately 14%" on food in 2018 when the chart shows 17%. The ideas remain limited and under-developed, preventing a higher grade.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response demonstrates some organisation with basic paragraphing, but there is no clear overall progression of ideas. The transitions between sentences and paragraphs feel mechanical and confusing, often relying on repetitive conjunctions and linking phrases like "and then" and "Furthermore" rather than logical connectors that guide the reader smoothly through the data. Referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult to follow which category or year is being discussed. For instance, sentences beginning with phrases like "Although it is remained change the percentage" disrupt the logical flow entirely. To improve, the writer needs to ensure ideas follow a structured, logical sequence with precise cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common terms and data-related verbs, but these attempts are frequently marred by poor word choice, incorrect collocations, and word-formation errors. Examples include "spent their expenses", "remained changes", and "grew up gradually" instead of increased. While the reader can generally deduce the intended meaning, the noticeable errors and awkward phrasing cause frequent difficulty and impede natural communication. To progress, the student should focus on accurate collocation of statistical verbs and nouns, avoiding literal translations of complex phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical structure of the response is heavily limited, relying on basic patterns where attempts at complex sentences are almost entirely faulty. There are frequent errors in verb forms, tenses, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions inside grammatical structures. Examples of faulty grammar include "families can spent", "the chart evident that", and "the percentage becomes more went up significantly". Punctuation is also poorly handled, with misplaced full stops and commas breaking up sentences awkwardly (e.g., "In 1968. the families"). These frequent errors cause considerable difficulty for the reader and reflect a weak control over sentence mechanics.

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