Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-06

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 7.0)

The bar chart provides information about how families spend their weekly income in one country in 1968 and in 2018. Overall, food accounted for the highest share in the weekly expenditure of families in 1968, while leisure had the largest share in the weekly expenditure in 2018. The share of housing and transport increased significantly in 2018, whereas the percentage of fuel and power, clothing and footware, and personal goods decreased substantially in 2018. The share of household goods in the weekly expenditure remained same in 1986 and 2018.

In 1968, food accounted for 35% of the weekly income, while housing and clothing and footware had the second- highest share in the weekly income, at 10%. Leisure, was the third biggest expense, having 8% share in the weekly expenditure, while household goods, personal goods and transport followed closely, each having 7% share in the weekly expenditure. Fuel and power had the smallest share in the weekly income, at just 6%.

Turning to 2018, the share of food declined dramatically to 17%, while the share of leisure in the weekly income rose sharply to 22%. Subsequently, the share of housing and transport increased significantly to 19% and 14%, respectively, whereas the share of fuel and power, clothing and footware and personal goods declined substantially to 3%, 5% and 3%, respectively. In contrast, the share of the household goods in weekly expenditure remained unchanged at 8%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting a clear overview of the main trends and selecting and reporting key data from the bar chart. For instance, the student correctly highlights that food was the highest expense in 1968, while leisure dominated in 2018. The main features are appropriately extended and supported with accurate figures, such as food declining from 35% to 17% and leisure rising to 22%. However, there is a minor tendency to over-generalise or slightly misreport isolated data points (for example, stating household goods were 7% in 1968 when the chart shows 8%), which prevents the response from reaching the highest tier. Overall, the information is well selected and provides a clear comparative summary of the two years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the response. The student opens with a well-structured introductory sentence followed by a concise overall summary, then moves logically into detailed body paragraphs for 1968 and 2018 respectively. Cohesive devices are used flexibly and appropriately to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Turning to 2018', and 'whereas'. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the overview from the specific data breakdown. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional transitional links feel slightly mechanical. The progression of information moves smoothly from general highlights to specific percentages, ensuring the reader can easily follow the comparisons made between the two time periods.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, allowing for effective reporting of numerical data and trends. Less common vocabulary items and functional phrasing are successfully employed, such as 'accounted for', 'declined dramatically', 'rose sharply', and 'remained unchanged'. There are occasional minor inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as the spelling error 'footware' (instead of footwear) and a slight lexical slip in stating the year '1986' instead of 1968 in the first paragraph. Nonetheless, the vocabulary is adequate to convey precise meanings and academic tone without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

A good variety of complex sentence structures is used, featuring frequent error-free sentences alongside dependent clauses and comparative constructions. The student shows solid control of grammar, employing accurate past and present tenses for historical data (

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