Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07

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 compares the proportions of how families in one country spenting their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. Families expediture contains on 8 different activites.

Overall, families spent their weekly income in 1968 illustrate the proportions of 8 substance mainly higher than 2018 however, there is slight difference in housing, transport and teisure proportions is lower than 2018 while, rather in 2018, spent their weekly incomes particularly trend lower than 1968 such as (food, fuel powerm clothing and footware) and lesiure and housing are higher than 2018. There is one distant from others the porportions of that household goods is equal in both years.

Further, in 1968 the porportions of families weekly expenditure trend above which are (food, clothing and footware, fuel and power and personal goods) the main expenditure spent families on food which is quite rich than otthers.

Moreover, in 2018 the porportions of families weekly expensive trend housing, transport and leisure trends are low whereas other are above and equal is only household goods in both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and make a relevant attempt to compare the two years, including the equal household-goods figure. However, the overview is difficult to follow and contains a key reversal: you say that housing, transport and leisure were lower in 2018, although all three were higher. The later statement that these categories rose in 2018 is also unclear and conflicts with that claim. You mention food as the main spending category in 1968, but do not clearly report the major shift from food (35% to 17%) to leisure (9% to 22%) as the largest category in 2018. Select the main changes accurately and support them with clear figures to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has separate paragraphs and attempts an overview followed by details, so there is some basic organisation. However, the progression is not clear: the overview repeats comparisons that are revisited in the final paragraph, while the middle paragraph lists categories without giving their values or a clear comparison. Linking words such as “Further” and “Moreover” signal additions, but they do not clarify how the information relates, and “whereas” introduces a confusing contrast. Several references, including “other are above” and “one distant from others,” are hard to interpret. Organise the report into a concise overview and two comparison-focused detail paragraphs, grouping categories by whether their shares rose, fell or stayed the same.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You attempt task-related vocabulary, including “proportions,” “expenditure” and “main expenditure,” and use some category names from the chart. However, inaccurate word choice, spelling and collocation frequently make the meaning difficult to understand. Examples include “families expediture contains on 8 different activites,” “quite rich than otthers,” and “weekly expensive trend.” Several category names are also misspelled, such as “teisure,” “lesiure” and “footware.” Use familiar, precise expressions rather than forcing unusual wording: for example, say that families “spent the largest share on food” or that a category’s “proportion increased.” Check spelling carefully and use the chart’s labels consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to use longer sentences and contrast, but the structures are often faulty, and the reader must work to identify the intended meaning. For example, “Overall, families spent their weekly income in 1968 illustrate the proportions…” combines incompatible verb forms, while “there is slight difference in housing, transport and teisure proportions is lower” lacks a workable sentence structure. Articles and agreement are also inconsistent, as in “there is one distant” and “other are above.” The response relies on repeated sentence patterns beginning with “in 1968” or “in 2018,” without consistently controlling clauses. Build shorter, complete sentences first, then practise joining them with accurate contrast clauses such as “while” and “whereas.”

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