Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 given bar chart illustrates the comparison of average weekly spending by families in 1968 and 2018.

Firstly, food is the major part of weekly spending shown by the given bar graph. In 1968, families spending on food weekly on an average of 35%, but in 2018 its faces a huge decline of 17%.

Secondly, In 1968, families spending on housing, transport and leisure weekly on an average of 10%, 7% and 9% respectively. But in 2018, the weekly spending on housing and transport are rose for almost 50% of their previous average respectively. But the weekly spending on leisure is rose for almost 65% as compared to the previous average.

On the other hand, the average weekly spending on fuel and power, clothing and footware and personal goods was 7%, 10% and 8% respectively in 1968. But in 2018, these areas faces the decline of almost 50% as compared with the previous data.

Lastly, the average of household goods remains the same in both both years 8%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast in the chart: food spending fell substantially, while leisure and housing became more significant, and household goods stayed unchanged. However, several figures or comparisons are inaccurate. For example, 2018 housing rose from 10% to 19% (nearly doubled), not by “almost 50%”; leisure rose from 9% to 22%, rather than 65%; and transport increased from 8% to 14%, not from 7%. The fuel and power figure in 1968 was 6%, not 7%. The response also lacks a clear overview that brings together the largest changes, such as food’s fall and leisure’s rise. Select the most important trends, report the figures accurately, and avoid unsupported percentage-change claims.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable sequence, moving from food to several other categories and ending with household goods. Paragraphing and signposts such as “Firstly,” “On the other hand,” and “Lastly” help readers follow the categories. However, the organisation is somewhat mechanical, and the opening does not provide an overview of the main patterns. Repeated use of “But” to connect comparisons makes the progression less smooth, while “Secondly” introduces several categories without clearly grouping them by trend. A stronger structure would give a concise overview after the introduction, then use two body paragraphs to compare categories that rose and those that fell or remained stable. Use linking phrases to show relationships rather than simply mark sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average weekly spending,” “decline,” and “remains the same,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which makes parts of the report awkward. For instance, “its faces a huge decline” is not a natural way to describe a figure, and “spending … are rose” does not express an increase appropriately. “Previous average” is also unclear when referring to the earlier year’s figure. Check spelling as well: the chart label is “footwear,” not “footware.” Aim for precise reporting verbs such as “accounted for,” “increased,” and “fell,” and use “percentage points” when describing the difference between two percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Your sentences communicate the broad comparisons, but grammatical control is inconsistent, and attempts to form longer comparative sentences often contain errors. Examples include “families spending on food weekly on an average of 35%,” which needs a finite verb and a clearer structure, and “the weekly spending on housing and transport are rose,” where the verb form and agreement are incorrect. “These areas faces” also has a subject–verb agreement error, while “both both years” repeats a word. Most sentences follow similar simple patterns, with limited accurate use of complex structures. Practise reliable forms such as “spending on X rose from … to …” and “whereas X fell,” then check each sentence for a complete verb, correct agreement, and unnecessary repetition.

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