Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-08

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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates the typical weekly spending by families in one country in 1968 and in 2018.

Looking at the details, in 1968, weekly spending on food was 35%, however, this figure considerably slumped to 15% in 2018. Housing had 10% spending, while this percentage increased and accounting for under 20%. Moreover, fuel and power spending experienced slight drop form 7% to 4%. Clothing and footware proportion was at 10% in 1968, after that this figure drop by half recorded at 5% in 2018. Meanwhile, household goods expenditure remained same over the time. Personal goods proportion was at 8% in 1968 and in 2018 it fell and reached 4%. Furthermore, transport figure went up from 8% in 1968 to 14% in 2018. Leisure weekly spending was at just 8% in 1968, while this figures rose and reached over the 20% in 2018.

Overall, the household had the highest proportion in 1968, while this figure droped around a half, the housing experienced increase over the time. Others expenditure had slight changes, however, leisure spending and transport were rise over the time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover all eight spending categories and identify several important changes, including the fall in food spending and rises in housing, transport and leisure. The figures are generally grounded in the chart, and the overview recognises that leisure and transport increased. However, some key details are incomplete or imprecise: housing is described only as “under 20%” rather than giving its approximate 19% share, and the overview calls the highest 1968 category “the household,” which is unclear and appears to confuse households with food. The chart shows food was highest in 1968. Your overview also says other categories changed only slightly, although clothing and personal goods fell substantially. Make the main comparisons more precise and ensure the overview accurately ranks the categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph reporting category details, and a concluding overview. The sequence of categories makes the information easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Meanwhile” and “Furthermore” help signal comparisons. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some of the flexibility associated with stronger cohesion. However, the overview comes after the detailed figures, so the main pattern is not immediately clear, and several transitions feel mechanical. The final sentence’s “Others expenditure” is also an unclear reference, while “however” joins contrasting ideas without making their relationship precise. Put the overview before the details, group related rises and falls, and use clearer references.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a bar chart, including “proportion,” “expenditure,” “remained,” “increased,” and “fell.” These choices allow the reader to understand most comparisons, and you attempt more varied language than simply repeating “spending.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, however: “slumped” is too dramatic for a neutral chart description, “had 10% spending” is unnatural, and “the household had the highest proportion” does not name the category clearly. There are also spelling errors in “footware” and “droped.” Aim for precise, neutral reporting verbs and standard category names; this will make your descriptions more natural and reliable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple statements and longer comparative sentences, using structures such as “while this figure…,” “from 8%…to 14%,” and “remained same over the time.” The meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “this figure drop by half” needs a past-tense verb, and “leisure spending and transport were rise” has an incorrect verb construction. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention: “remained same” requires an article, while the sentence beginning “in 1968, weekly spending on food was 35%, however” joins two independent clauses incorrectly. Check tense consistency, subject–verb forms, articles, and punctuation when editing.

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