Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The bar chart compares the weekly proportion spending income of familes between 1968 and 2018.

Overall, spending on food showed the highest among all of other expenses. Whille fuel and power represented the lowest expense.

In 1968, food was the largest expense, accounting for close 35% of the weekly income. However this trends signifcantly dropped to 16%. Housing showed an opposite trend. In 1968 it made up small part roughly 10%, but in 2018 it increased around !6%. fuel was nearly 6% in 1968 and power explained decreasing to 4%.

Clothing stands out 10% weekly spending in 1968 and footware displayed 5% in 2018. The household goods was similar in 50 years period both stands at approximately 7% weekly spending. Whereas transport expense in 1968 was 6% weelly income, it was considerably rose to 14% in 2018. Lesisure demostrated the 9% weekly spendinng in 1968, over the period it gradually increasing around 22% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important comparisons, including the sharp fall in food spending (about 35% to 17%), the rise in housing, and the increase in leisure and transport. The response also includes figures for most categories, so the main features are generally addressed. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: food was the largest category in 1968, but leisure—not food—was highest in 2018, while fuel and power was the lowest in both years. Some details are also misreported or confusing, such as housing rising to “!6%” rather than about 19%, and the statement that transport was 6% in 1968 rather than about 8%. Make the overview accurately compare the two years, then check each figure and explain the main changes clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing category changes. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and contrast markers such as “However” and “Whereas” help signal comparisons. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and some links are unclear or mechanical. For example, “fuel was nearly 6% in 1968 and power explained decreasing to 4%” does not clearly connect the category with its change. The final paragraph moves through several categories without a consistent grouping, while “Clothing stands out…” is not smoothly connected to the household-goods comparison. Group categories by rising, falling, or stable spending and use clearer references to improve flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “accounting for,” “made up,” “opposite trend,” and “approximately,” and you attempt to vary how changes are described. However, inaccurate word choice and spelling are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. “Proportion spending income” is not a natural description, and “power explained decreasing” does not express the change clearly. There are also misspellings such as “familes,” “Whille,” “footware,” and “Lesisure,” alongside awkward phrases such as “weekly spendinng.” Choose precise terms for proportions and trends, and proofread spelling carefully. A more controlled set of expressions—such as “accounted for,” “fell to,” and “rose to”—would make the comparisons clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and more complex comparisons, for example, “Whereas transport expense in 1968 was 6%…, it was considerably rose to 14% in 2018.” This shows an effort to vary sentence structure, but the construction is faulty: use either “it rose considerably” or “it was considerably higher.” Some other sentences also have grammatical problems, including “spending on food showed the highest” and “in 2018 it increased,” where the comparison or sentence structure is incomplete. Articles, verb forms, and punctuation are not consistently controlled, as in “The household goods was similar” and the missing comma after introductory “However.” Aim for complete, direct sentences and check subject–verb agreement and verb patterns.

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