Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The given graph shows that how people live in same family use their weekend salary in different types of housechores work in one country in 1968 and 2018. salary measures in percentage.

It is clear from the chart that most of individuals spent their amount of money in food in 1968 its reduced in 2018 by 17%. little portion of salary was used in fuel and power 6% in 1968 by people and its decreased to 4% in 2018.

on the other hand in year 1968 housing , transport and leisure works have less amount of money compare to 2018 .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s topic and make a relevant comparison, noting that food spending fell from 35% to 17% and fuel and power from 6% to 4%. However, the response covers only a small part of the data: it omits the major rise in leisure spending, the increase in housing and transport, and categories that changed little or declined. The statement that housing, transport and leisure were all lower in 1968 is broadly accurate, but it is not supported with figures or developed into a clear overview of the main shifts. The response is also 101 words, below the required 150, which leaves the summary substantially incomplete. Include a concise overview and compare the most significant categories with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: an introduction, a statement about food, a comparison of fuel and power, and a final contrast. Phrases such as “It is clear from the chart” and “on the other hand” show an attempt to guide the reader. However, the ideas do not develop into a complete, clearly organised summary, and the final sentence groups three categories together without explaining their individual changes. The first sentence is difficult to follow, which weakens the opening. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and key comparisons, and connect each comparison clearly—for example, contrast the fall in food spending with the rise in leisure and housing.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “spent,” “decreased,” and “portion,” so the general subject is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural for describing household expenditure. “Weekend salary” does not convey weekly income, while “housechores work” misrepresents the spending categories. “Leisure works” and “less amount of money compare to” also make the intended meaning less precise. Spelling errors such as “housechores” further reduce accuracy. Build a small set of precise terms for chart descriptions—such as “share of weekly income,” “expenditure,” “accounted for,” and “rose/fell”—and use the category labels from the chart.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a longer comparison, and the reader can understand the broad point about spending changing between the two years. However, sentence structures are limited, and errors in clause formation and verb patterns recur. For example, “shows that how people … use” combines incompatible structures, while “its reduced in 2018” needs a correctly formed passive or active clause. The sentence about food also joins ideas without clear punctuation, making the relationship between the figures harder to follow. In “housing, transport and leisure works have less amount … compare to 2018,” the comparison structure is not grammatically controlled. Practise clear patterns such as “Spending on X fell from … to …” and “By 2018, families spent a larger share on …”.

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