Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-14

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 bar chart breakdowns the weekly income in percentages of familes in one country over two years: 1968 and 2018.

Overall, the highest amount of income was spent on food in 1968, followed by food, housing, and leisure in 2018. The lowest amount of income was spent on fuel and power, personal goods, and clothing and footware.

Leisure used 9% of income in 1968 and increased considerably around to 22% by 2018, followed by housing (10%) and transport (7%) in 1968, which grew steadily to 19% and 14% by 2018.

However, the weekly income spent on food was 35% in 1968, which fell significantly to approximately 17% by 2018. Clothing and footwear followed same trend, which stood at 10% by 1968 and lowered to 5% by 2018. Fuel, power and personal goods used the lowest income by 2018 at only 4%. Whereas, household goods used same amount of income at around 8% in 1968 and 2018.

In conclusion, food, clothing and footwear used more income in 2018, while housing, transport, and leisure used more income in 1968.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important comparisons accurately, including food falling from 35% to about 17%, leisure rising from 9% to 22%, and household goods remaining at 8%. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: in 2018, leisure was highest, followed by housing and food, not “food, housing, and leisure.” The claim that clothing and footwear used more income in 2018 is also the reverse of the data; its share fell from 10% to 5%. Some figures are missing or misreported, such as transport in 1968 (8%, rather than 7%), and the lowest categories are not consistently identified across both years. A clearer overview and more reliable selection of key comparisons would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing increases and decreases. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the information. However, progression is weakened by the inaccurate overview and the final “In conclusion,” which repeats and contradicts earlier information rather than summarising it reliably. “However” and “Whereas” do not always express the relationships between the figures clearly, and the grouping of categories shifts between paragraphs. Organise the details consistently—for example, first describe the largest changes, then the smaller or unchanged categories—and use linking words only where their meaning fits the comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of chart-related vocabulary, including “increased considerably,” “fell significantly,” and “followed same trend,” so the main comparisons are generally understandable. Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing proportions: “the bar chart breakdowns the weekly income” and “used 9% of income” are less suitable than standard reporting phrases. There are also spelling errors in “familes” and “footware,” and “amount” is not the best fit for a percentage share. Aim for precise collocations such as “accounted for” or “represented,” and check spelling carefully. More accurate wording would make the comparisons clearer without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including clauses with “which” and contrastive links such as “Whereas.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions are present. For example, “followed by food, housing, and leisure in 2018” creates an unclear comparison, while “Clothing and footwear followed same trend” is missing an article before “same trend.” In “which stood at 10% by 1968 and lowered to 5%,” the relative clause and verb construction are not well controlled. Review articles, clause references, and parallel forms when comparing two years. Clearer sentence patterns would help you express the data more accurately.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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