Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-05

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 6.5)

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

Overall, In 1968 families spent most of their weekly income on food while in 2018 families spent most on leisure. In addition to that, the percentage of weekly income spent on housing and transport also increased in 2018 while the expenditure on household goods remained the same.

In 1968, 35% of the weekly income was spent on food. In 2018 this figure reduced to approximately 17%. Families in 2018 spent more money on leisure and housing. In 1968, the percentage of income spent on housing was 10% but in 2018 it rose to almost 19%. Similarly only about 8% of the weekly income was spent on leisure in 1968 but it increased significantly to almost 22% in 2018. The average weekly spending on transport also almost doubled in 2018.

In 1968, people spent 7% of their weekly salary on personal goods. This reduced to 4% in 2018. Other than that, 10% of the weekly salary was spent on clothing and footwear in 1968 but it reduced to 5% in 2018. A similar trend was experienced with fuel and power as the percentage reduced from 6% to 4%. The percentage spent on households and good remained the same which was 7%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response satisfies the prompt requirements by providing a clear overview and highlighting key features and comparisons from the chart. The writer successfully identifies major trends, such as the dramatic decrease in food spending and the rise in leisure and housing expenses. Figures are reported accurately for the most part, matching the visual data closely. To reach the highest bands, the selection of data could be even more fully integrated into a cohesive analytical narrative rather than listed sequentially, and some minor categories could be grouped more efficiently. However, all parts of the task are adequately covered with clear supporting data throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs grouping related categories together. Logical progression is generally maintained as the reader moves from the overview to specific data points. Cohesive devices are used, though some transitional phrases feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the opening of paragraphs or simple additive links like 'In addition to that'. Paragraphing is handled well, but referencing and transitions between sentences could be smoothed out to establish a more seamless flow, which keeps the response at this solid intermediate level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying numerical changes and trends with words like 'significantly', 'rose', and 'reduced'. There are occasional slight inaccuracies in word choice or phrasing, such as 'households and good' instead of 'household goods'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items, but occasional minor slips in collocation or word form prevent the response from achieving a higher band. Spelling is generally accurate, and the lexical range is sufficient to communicate the information clearly without impeding the reader's understanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a reasonable mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like relative clauses and comparative constructions effectively. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing commas after introductory temporal phrases like 'Overall, In 1968', but these errors are infrequent and rarely impede communication. The majority of simple sentences are error-free, and verb tenses are handled correctly when referring to past years and comparative trends. To achieve a higher band, a wider variety of advanced structures with consistent accuracy across complex sentences would be needed.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.