Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-20

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 graph illustrates the average weekly spending by families in one country in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, it is observed that food was the peak where people spent their income in 1968, whereas over the decades leisure was at the highest point in 2018. Conversely, fuel and power expenditure was ranked at last during both the years.

In 1968, expenditure on food was ranked at 35%, meaning it dominated the chart. Around 16% of weekly income was occupied by both housing and clothing as well as feetwear. Furthermore, the proportion was closely followed by leisure, transport and personal goods, accounted at around 9%, 8%, 7%, respectively. However, the smallest portion was shown by fuel & power, made up to 6%.

In 2018, on the other hand, the highest weekly income people spent was on leisure. Followed by housing at around 17%. Around 16% was occupied by food expenditure, while 14% was spent on the transport. In contrast, personal goods and fuel and power ranked last, approximately under 5% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast accurately: food is the largest category in 1968, while leisure leads in 2018, and fuel and power is the smallest in both years. Several figures are also broadly reported correctly, including food at 35% and transport at 14% in 2018. However, some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. Housing and clothing/footwear were each 10% in 1968, not around 16% combined as phrased, and housing in 2018 was about 19%, rather than 17%. The 2018 account also omits clothing and household goods, while the 1968 figures for personal goods and transport are not reported accurately. To strengthen the response, select the most important rises and falls and compare them precisely, including leisure’s increase and food’s substantial decline.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the two years. The progression from the general pattern to year-specific details is easy to follow, and transitions such as “Overall,” “Furthermore,” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. Some linking is less effective because it creates fragments or awkward sequences, particularly “Followed by housing at around 17%.” The phrase “the proportion was closely followed by leisure, transport and personal goods” also makes the ranking difficult to interpret, especially as the figures are presented in a confusing order. Grouping categories by increases, decreases, and similar values would make comparisons more cohesive and reduce the list-like feel.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing a chart, including “expenditure,” “proportion,” “dominated,” and “ranked.” These choices generally communicate the topic, and you vary the wording rather than repeating “spending” throughout. However, some expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “food was the peak where people spent their income,” “weekly income was occupied by,” and “made up to 6%.” “Feetwear” is also an incorrect spelling and category label; use “footwear.” Aim for more natural chart language, such as “accounted for,” “stood at,” and “the largest share.” More precise vocabulary will also help distinguish a category’s percentage from the amount of income spent on it.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause with “whereas” and a sentence beginning “In 2018, on the other hand.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some sentence structures are incomplete or awkward. “Followed by housing at around 17%” is a fragment, and “leisure, transport and personal goods, accounted at around 9%, 8%, 7%” lacks a clear grammatical connection between the categories and figures. There are also issues with article and preposition patterns in phrases such as “ranked at last” and “spent on the transport.” Build complete sentences with an explicit subject and verb, and check that each list has a clear matching structure.

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