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 graph shown, indicates the average expenditure of weekly income of the families of a country in 1968 and 2018. Utilities on which families spend their money, are shown on left side while the average percentage of weekly income, spent on these utilities is shown horizontally against each one of them.

The chart shows that families in 1968 spent thirty five percent of their weekly income on food, whereas in 2018, this expenditure has declined to almost seventeen percent. Also the members of the family in 2018 have spent almost 20 percent of their weekly income for housing as compared to the families in 1968, which is 10 percent. However the average money spent on household goods is same for both years.

The graph also reflects less expenditure on fuel and power in 2018 than 1968 because of the increased charges of the transport in 2018 according to the chart. While it can be seen that people in 1968 have spent more on personal goods and clothing and foot-ware but on the other hand, in 2018, families have spent more for leisure activities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important comparisons accurately: food falls from 35% to about 17%, housing rises from 10% to around 19%, and household-goods spending remains at 8%. You also note the higher 2018 figures for leisure and transport and the lower figures for clothing and personal goods. However, the response lacks a clear overview that summarises the main pattern across the chart. The claim that lower fuel spending occurred “because of the increased charges of the transport” is not supported by the data, which shows spending shares rather than causes or charges. Some categories are mentioned without their figures, and the opening description of the axes is inaccurate. A concise overview and more precise, data-based comparisons would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a generally understandable sequence: it introduces the chart, compares food and housing, and then discusses several remaining categories. Linking expressions such as “whereas,” “however,” and “on the other hand” help signal contrasts. The organisation is nevertheless somewhat mechanical, with the final paragraph grouping several unrelated categories together and no distinct overview of the main trends. Some connections are also unclear: “because of” presents a causal relationship that the chart does not establish, while “While it can be seen” leads into a long contrast without a clear structure. Grouping the categories by whether spending rose, fell, or stayed stable, and using clearer paragraphing, would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “expenditure,” “declined,” “household goods,” and “leisure activities,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, several imprecise or unnatural choices: “utilities” is not an accurate label for all the spending categories, and “increased charges of the transport” does not describe what the chart measures. Phrases such as “spent … for housing” and “the average money spent” are also awkward. Spelling and form need attention in “foot-ware”; the chart label is “footwear.” Aim for precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “share of weekly income,” and “rose/fell to,” while avoiding explanations that are not shown by the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons with “whereas” and “as compared to,” and most sentences remain understandable. Some grammatical and punctuation errors persist. The opening comma in “The graph shown, indicates” incorrectly separates the subject from its verb, and “Utilities on which families spend their money, are shown” has a similar misplaced comma. Tense use is inconsistent when describing the chart: “have spent” and “has declined” sit alongside past-tense forms such as “spent.” The phrase “the average money spent … is same” also needs an article (“the same”). More consistent past-tense reporting and careful checking of sentence boundaries and articles would improve accuracy.

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