Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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 4.5)

The bar graph illustarte the percentage of families average weekly spending income in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, it is clear that food has increased over the period. Household goods, personal goods and transport were stood nearly equal. Fule and power has the lowest figure throughout the period.

In 1986, food has the higest figure around 35%, while 16% in 2018. Leisure has 9% weekly spending in 1986, whereas it has increased 22% in 2018. Clothing and footwear is 10% in 1986, which is decreased in 2018.

Weekly income spending on household, personal goods and transport were stood at around similar percentage in 1986. Household goods was relatively stable over the period. Fuel and power has 6% of spending income in 1986, followed by in 2018 it dropped to rougly 4%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify several relevant categories and include some figures, such as food at about 35% in 1968 and leisure at 22% in 2018. However, the overview contains a major reversal: food decreased, rather than increased, and household goods, personal goods and transport did not remain nearly equal across both years. The year is repeatedly given as 1986 instead of 1968, and the 2018 food figure is reported as 16% rather than approximately 17%. Important comparisons are also missing, including the rise in housing and transport. The response is 19 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail available. Check the chart carefully, then summarise the largest changes accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and contrasts such as “whereas” help connect the leisure figures. However, progression is limited because the details are not grouped around clear comparisons, and the final paragraph repeats the claim that several categories were similar without giving their figures. Some linking is awkward, as in “followed by in 2018,” while “which is decreased” does not clearly express the comparison. Organise the body by major changes—for example, falling food and clothing versus rising leisure, housing and transport—and use concise links to show those contrasts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “percentage,” “weekly spending,” “increased,” “dropped” and “stable,” so the reader can recognise the subject and intended comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word-choice or spelling errors reduce precision: “spending income” is unclear, “stood nearly equal” is an unnatural collocation, and “illustarte,” “higest” and “Fule” are misspelled. “Food has increased” also gives the wrong meaning for the data, although the main issue there is inaccurate reporting. Use standard chart language such as “accounted for,” “rose to,” and “fell to,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a few different sentence patterns, including a contrast with “whereas” and a relative clause beginning “which.” Most sentences communicate a basic idea, but control is inconsistent. Examples include “The bar graph illustrate,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “Household goods was,” where a plural subject takes a singular verb. Tense choices also shift awkwardly between “has,” “were stood” and “is decreased,” and some clauses are incomplete or poorly formed, such as “while 16% in 2018.” Aim for clear past-tense comparisons: “Food accounted for about 35% in 1968, compared with 17% in 2018.” Practise agreement and complete sentence structures.

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