Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The horizontal bar graph illustrates the average percentages of weekly spending by category for families in a country in 1968 and 2018. Overall, previously, food had the highest spending, but leisure has taken over now. Fuel and power had the least spending in both years.

Initially, in 1968, food had the highest percentage, approximately 35, while in 2018 leisure had more than 20% of the spending, which was the highest among it. However, Housing and clothing and footwear had similar percentages above 10 in 1968, which was the least in that year. Conversely, food and housing had almost similar percentages in 2018, above 15%.

Furthermore, Transport had little less than 15% of the spendings in the year 2018. Meanwhile, Fuel and power, clothing and footwear, and personal goods had similar percentage, which was about 4%. Subsequently, personal goods, transport and leisure had similar percentage in 1968, at less than 10. Ultimately, household goods remain at the same proportion of percentage at more then 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main shift clearly: food was the largest category in 1968, while leisure became the largest in 2018, and fuel and power was the smallest in both years. Several comparisons are also relevant, including food and housing being close in 2018 and household goods remaining unchanged. This gives the response a sound overview and covers the chart’s main message. However, some details are imprecise or incomplete: housing and clothing were both 10% in 1968, so describing them as “above 10” is inaccurate, and the 2018 food figure is not stated. The claim that three categories were “similar” in 1968 overlooks their distinct values. More precise reporting of key figures and clearer selection of comparisons would strengthen the response further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction and overview are followed by details about each year, with paragraph breaks helping the reader follow the account. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Furthermore” show an effort to connect ideas. At times, though, the progression is less clear because the details move between years and categories without a consistent organising principle. “Initially” and “Subsequently” do not always clarify the relationship between the figures, and “which was the least in that year” has an unclear reference. Grouping the 1968 figures together and then the 2018 figures, or comparing the largest and smallest categories systematically, would make the organisation more logical and cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of chart vocabulary, including “average percentages,” “category,” “highest,” “similar,” and “proportion,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts to vary expression, such as “taken over” and “remain at the same proportion.” Some choices are imprecise or unnatural for formal data description: “which was the highest among it” and “little less than 15% of the spendings” are awkward, while “percentage of percentage” is redundant. Spelling errors in “footware” and “more then” also reduce accuracy. Aim for concise, conventional collocations such as “accounted for,” “stood at,” and “the largest share,” and use “spending” as an uncountable noun.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including contrast clauses with “while” and “whereas”-type comparisons, and most of the message remains understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In “which was the highest among it,” the pronoun reference is unclear; “which was the highest category” would be more controlled. The sentence beginning “However, Housing and clothing…” also has an awkward clause structure, and “household goods remain” shifts into the present tense when describing past chart data. There are occasional issues with articles, agreement, and punctuation around phrases such as “in the year 2018.” Keep the past tense consistent and check that each relative clause clearly refers to the intended category or figure.

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