Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-09

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 illustrates the proportion of significant information about how families in one nation spent their weekly income in 1968 and 2018.

Overall, it is apparent that food proportion is very highest in first year and in the second year was lowest percentage of food. Moreover, Fuel and power was very lowest proportion in both years.

On the one hand, in the year 1968 food proportion was 35% and housing was 10% after that, Fuel and power was the lowest unit in both years 7% in 1968 and 5% in 2018. Moreover, Leisure percentage was nearly 9% and Transportation rate was 7% in the year 1968.In the year 1968 all good and services rate highest as compare to the year 2018.

On the other hand, in year 2018 Leisure percentage was highest as compare to other services and good 27% then Housing was 18% and finally, Food is 17% and others was very low rate of spent income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad contrast that food took the largest share in 1968 and that leisure and housing were prominent in 2018. However, the overview is partly inaccurate: food was not the lowest category in 2018, since fuel and power and personal goods were both about 4%, while food remained at 17%. The claim that fuel and power was the lowest in both years is also incorrect for 1968, when it was about 6% and several categories were higher or similar. Some figures are misreported, including leisure at 27% rather than about 22%, and transport at 7% rather than about 8% in 1968. The response selects relevant categories but gives limited accurate comparison across the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the two years. This gives the reader some organisation, and “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” signal a contrast. However, progression is limited because the body largely lists figures year by year rather than comparing related categories across the years. Some links are awkward or unclear, such as “after that” between food and housing, and “all good and services rate highest” does not clearly explain the comparison. The overview also repeats the food point without establishing a clear hierarchy of the main changes. Grouping the largest rises and falls together, then using precise linking phrases, would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “weekly income,” and “highest,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “significant information,” “lowest unit,” “rate of spent income,” and “all good and services.” Repetition of “percentage,” “proportion,” and “rate” also makes the description less flexible. There are spelling and word-form problems, including “footware” and “good” where “goods” is needed. Aim for accurate chart language and natural collocations, for example “accounted for,” “share of expenditure,” and “category,” while avoiding vague phrases such as “others was very low.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can usually identify the intended meaning. However, the range is limited, and errors recur in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation. For example, “food proportion is very highest” has an incorrect superlative construction, while “others was very low rate” has agreement and sentence-structure problems. The phrase “in first year” also needs an article, and “In the year 1968.In the year 1968” shows faulty punctuation and repetition. Several clauses are joined without clear grammatical relationships, as in the sentence beginning “food proportion was 35% and housing was 10% after that.” Practise accurate comparative sentences and check each clause for a clear subject and verb.

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