Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-17

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 5.0)

The line grapgh provides details on how households in signle nation spent weekly earning from 1968 to 2018.Over the period , household spent less on various activites .However , people spent less on food as compare to 1968 and spent more on leisure.

In 1968 the average spending on food was 35%but in 2018 this can be observed 18% respectively . Housing spending wee only 10% in 1968 while , around 20% in 2018.

In term of leisure in 1968 were around 10% to 10% less than 2018 . Household items doesn't follow the trend it remained unchanged at around 8% in both years

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify two important changes accurately: food fell from about 35% to 18%, while housing rose from 10% to around 20%; you also note that household goods stayed near 8%. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: “household spent less on various activities” overlooks increases in housing, transport and leisure, and the leisure comparison is expressed confusingly as “around 10% to 10% less.” Several categories are omitted, so the main pattern across the chart is only partly reported. The response is also below the required 150 words, limiting the detail and comparisons you can provide. Add a clear overview and cover the other notable changes, especially leisure, transport and clothing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening statement is followed by details about food and housing, then leisure and household goods. The contrast marker “However” also signals a change in direction. Nevertheless, the progression is limited, and the overview does not clearly prepare the reader for the selected details. Some linking is awkward or inaccurate, as in “In term of leisure in 1968 were around 10% to 10% less than 2018,” while punctuation spacing and sentence boundaries are inconsistent. Group the figures into a clear overview and one or two detail paragraphs, and use precise comparisons such as “whereas” or “by contrast” to show how categories changed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant chart vocabulary, including “average spending,” “remained unchanged,” and “around,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word-choice or spelling errors reduce clarity: “line grapgh” misidentifies the visual, “weekly earning” is not the right collocation, and “single nation” is an unnatural way to describe the country. “Household items” is also less precise than the chart label “household goods.” Aim for accurate terms such as “bar chart,” “weekly income,” “proportion,” “rose,” and “fell.” Check spelling carefully and avoid repeating “spent” when more precise verbs can describe the changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You communicate some comparisons using simple clauses, for example, “Housing spending wee only 10% in 1968,” and attempt a contrast with “while.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and the response relies mainly on short, basic structures. Errors in verb forms, agreement and sentence construction appear in “household spent less,” “In term of leisure in 1968 were,” and “Household items doesn't follow the trend.” The sentence about leisure is especially difficult to interpret because its structure does not clearly connect the two years. Punctuation spacing is also irregular. Practise forming complete comparison sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense and agreement in each sentence.

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