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 graph illustrates in 1968 and 2018, how in one nation family members are spent their per week income.

Overall, most of the categories are high in 1968 and low in 2018. Some classes show contrast compare to other like housing, transport, leisure where in 1968 have lower number and 2018 have higher number.

Food was the category which was highest in all the spending criteria and it was highest in 1968 on the other side in 2018 it was exponentially low compare to 1968. Then it came leisure which is second in term of expense in 2018 and in 1968 it is very low compare to 2018. Fuel and power was the type which is lowest in both 1968 and 2018 relative to other group.

household goods was the only segment where expenditure is not very high or not very low it was constant in both 1968 and 2018. Housing was the third division which is high in 2018. and personal goods was the second last in term of low financial outgoings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important features: food was the largest category in 1968, leisure was among the largest in 2018, and household-goods spending stayed unchanged. You also note the broad shift in housing, transport and leisure. However, the overview is too general when it says “most of the categories are high in 1968 and low in 2018”; this does not accurately summarise the mixed pattern, since housing, transport and leisure all rose. Some comparisons are unclear or incomplete: food fell from about 35% to 17%, while leisure rose from about 9% to 22%, and these key changes would benefit from figures. The claim that food was highest “in all” categories is also imprecise, as leisure was highest in 2018. Report the main changes more precisely and support them with selected data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about individual categories. This makes the main subject easy to identify. However, progression within the body is not consistently clear: the discussion jumps from food to leisure, then fuel, household goods, housing and personal goods without grouping categories by whether they rose, fell or remained stable. Linking phrases such as “on the other side” and “Then it came” are either awkward or do not clearly show the relationship between points. The final paragraph also combines unrelated comparisons. Organise the details into clearer groups—for example, categories that increased, those that decreased, and the unchanged category—and use precise references to connect comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a chart, including “category,” “expenditure,” “constant” and “financial outgoings.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which makes some comparisons harder to understand. “Exponentially low” does not describe a simple decrease in a chart, and “family members are spent their per week income” uses the wrong word forms and collocation. Phrases such as “highest in all the spending criteria” and “second last in term of low financial outgoings” are also imprecise. Aim for straightforward, accurate chart language rather than elaborate expressions: describe percentages as rising, falling, remaining unchanged, or accounting for a share of weekly spending. Check spelling, including “footwear,” and use consistent terms for the categories.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the reader can generally understand the comparisons you intend. However, errors in sentence structure, verb forms, agreement and punctuation are frequent enough to limit clarity. For example, “how in one nation family members are spent their per week income” has an incorrect passive construction; “where in 1968 have lower number” lacks a suitable verb form; and “Housing was the third division which is high in 2018” shifts tense within the sentence. Capitalisation after full stops is also inconsistent, as in “and personal goods.” Use a reliable pattern such as “Families spent 35% of their income on food in 1968, compared with 17% in 2018.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and complete sentence structures.

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