Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-13

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 chart compares the weekly income expenditures of families across seven main sources between the years1968 and 2018. Overall, food was the most common source of expense in 1968, while leisure accounted for the highest expenditure in 2018. In contrast, the data for fuel and power suggests that it was the least popular option across both years.

Food, fuel and power, personal goods and clothing and footware all saw a decline throughout this period ,with income spent on food accounting for the largest dip, falling from 35% in 1968 to 17% in 2018. Similarly, fuel and power declined from 7% to 4%, personal goods fell from 8% to 3% and clothing and footware fell from 10% to 5%.

In contrast Housing, transport and leisure all experienced a surge in income expenditure with Leisure recording the greatest rise from 8 to 24%. Followed b

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast accurately: food is the largest category in 1968, while leisure is highest in 2018, and you report several important rises and falls. However, some figures do not match the chart: fuel and power is about 6% in 1968, personal goods about 4% in 2018, and leisure rises from about 9% to 22%, rather than the figures given. The response also ends mid-sentence (“Followed b”), leaving the increases in housing and transport without supporting figures and the summary incomplete. The response is 143 words, below the 150-word minimum. Include the key comparisons accurately and complete the final point to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs grouping decreases and increases. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Similarly,” and “In contrast” help show these relationships. However, the final paragraph breaks off at “Followed b,” so the progression is unfinished and the reader is left without the promised comparison of housing and transport. Some punctuation and spacing also interrupt the flow, as in “period ,with” and “In contrast Housing.” Develop the final paragraph into a complete comparison, and use paragraph transitions and punctuation consistently so the organisation feels complete rather than abruptly cut off.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of task-related vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “declined,” “surge,” and “expenditure,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, some imprecise or awkward choices: “most common source of expense” is less natural for a spending chart than “largest spending category,” while “least popular option” suggests preference rather than the smallest share of income. “Income expenditures” is also an awkward combination. Check spelling of “footwear,” and avoid capitalising “leisure” mid-sentence. More precise collocations and consistent category names would make the description sound more natural and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview with “while” and a comparison introduced by “In contrast.” Most of the intended meaning is understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation control is inconsistent. The opening phrase “between the years1968 and 2018” needs a space and a more natural construction, such as “in 1968 and 2018.” In “Food, fuel and power, personal goods and clothing and footware all saw a decline …,with,” the punctuation and spacing make the sentence difficult to follow. The final fragment, “Followed b,” is incomplete. Proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation, and ensure every sentence has a complete clause.

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