Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-12

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 chart illustrates that information about how families is one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, the most striking period household goods both are similar and covered approximately 8% of weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. While food was cover the highest percentage at 35% of weekly income in 1968.

Regarding food, it accounted for 35% of weekly income in 1968, then fell to approximately 17% in 2018 In contrast, housing accounted for 10% of weekly income in 1968 and then increased to approximately 19% in 2018. Furthermore, fuel and power accounted for just above 5% in 1968 and then fell to just below 5% in 2018. Clothing and footwear accounted for 10% in 1968 and then decreased to 5% in 2018 Household goods stayed the same in both years, at 8% in 1968 and 2018 (you wrote 7%, but the chart shows 8%, which also matches your overview). Personal goods accounted for approximately 8% and then fell to below 5% in 2018. Transport accounted for approximately 8% in 1968 and then rose to approximately 14% in 2018. Lastly, leisure accounted for approximately 9% in 1968 and then increased to approximately 22% in 2018.

In conclusion, families spent most of their weekly income on food in 1968, whereas in 2018 they spent most of it on leisure and housing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main categories and report the key shifts accurately: food falls from 35% to 17%, while leisure rises from about 9% to 22%, and housing increases from 10% to 19%. Your overview also identifies the unchanged household-goods figure and the leading category in each year. This gives the response a clear, relevant summary, with enough supporting figures to address the task. To make the overview more complete, state explicitly that leisure is the largest category in 2018; the conclusion mentions both leisure and housing as the main spending areas, although housing is not the highest. The parenthetical comment about “you wrote 7%” is not part of a chart summary and should be removed. The response otherwise selects relevant features and comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a detailed comparison and a concluding sentence. The category-by-category paragraph makes the figures easy to locate, and linking expressions such as “In contrast,” “Furthermore” and “Lastly” help signal relationships. However, progression is somewhat mechanical because most details follow the same repeated “accounted for … and then” pattern. The parenthetical remark about a supposed 7% figure interrupts the flow and does not belong in the report. The final “In conclusion” largely repeats the overview rather than adding a useful synthesis. Grouping the categories by rising, falling and unchanged spending, and using clearer references between those groups, would create more natural progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “approximately,” “increased,” “decreased” and “percentage.” These choices generally communicate the comparisons clearly. Some wording is inaccurate or awkward, however: “how families is one country spent” is not a natural way to introduce the chart, and “the most striking period household goods both are similar” is difficult to understand. “Food was cover the highest percentage” also uses an incorrect word form, while “clothing and footware” contains a spelling error. The repeated use of “accounted for” and “then” limits flexibility. Aim for precise reporting verbs and natural collocations, such as “the share allocated to food” or “spending on leisure rose,” while checking spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast structure “While food …” and the comparison “In contrast, housing …”. Most figures remain understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. The opening clause, “how families is one country spent,” has incorrect word order and subject–verb agreement. “Food was cover” has an incorrect verb form, and the overview fragment beginning “While food…” is not a complete sentence when used after a full stop. Several long sentences also need clearer punctuation, particularly where one category’s figures run directly into the next sentence. Use complete clauses, check agreement and verb forms, and separate each comparison with appropriate full stops. More accurate control of these structures would improve clarity.

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