Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-21

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 5.5)

This graph shows that how families spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. In this graph, it shows the compariosn between both of them in different features like food, housing,fuel and power.etc.

First lets see at food. In 1968, People spent on food is about 35% of weekly income. While ,in 2018 , People spent between 15% to 20% of their weekly income.

When it comes to housing, in 1968 , people spent 10% and in 2018 , people spent nearly 20% of their weekly income.

In 1968 ,people spent 6% and 2018 people's spent 4% on fuel and power.

People in 1968 spent their 10% of their weekly income on clothing and footware. While, in 2018 , people spent 5% of their weely income.

Household goods tthat are very important. So , peole on 1968 and 2018, both spent around 8% oh their weekly income on household goods.

People in 1968 spent more on persomal goods. They spent 8% of their weekly income on personal goods. While , in 2018 , people spent 4% of their weekly income on personal goods.

People in 1968 spent less on transport whole in 2018 people spent more in transport.

In 1968, people spent 8% of their income on transport. In 2018, people spent 14% on transport. There is a clear difference betweem them.

Now, at the end, people in 1968 spent only 9% of their weekly income in leisure things. While , in 2018, people spent 22% of their weekly income on leisure things.

So, if we compare both of them,people in 1968 spent more in food, fuel and power,clothimg and footware and personal goods. While , in 2018 ,people spent more in housing, transport and leisure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover all eight spending categories and report the main figures accurately, including food falling from about 35% to 17%, housing rising from 10% to 19%, and leisure increasing from 9% to 22%. Your closing comparison also identifies which categories took a larger share in each year. However, the response lacks a distinct overview near the beginning: the broad pattern—that food was the largest item in 1968, while leisure was largest in 2018—would give the reader a clearer summary of the key changes. Some details are less fully developed; for example, you mention the rise in transport but do not initially compare its scale with other categories. A concise overview and more selective emphasis on the largest changes would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a generally understandable sequence, moving through the categories and ending with a comparison of the two years. Paragraph breaks help separate some points, and phrases such as “When it comes to housing” signal a change of topic. However, the organisation is largely a list rather than a clearly grouped report, and the repeated “In 1968 … While, in 2018” pattern makes the progression mechanical. Transport is discussed twice, and “First lets see at food” and “Now, at the end” are conversational transitions that do not create a strong overview-to-detail structure. Grouping the categories by increases, decreases, and little change, with a clear overview paragraph first, would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the categories and comparisons, including “weekly income,” “spent,” and “clear difference.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, particularly the repeated use of “people spent” and “leisure things.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “compariosn,” “footware,” “weely,” “peole,” and “persomal,” which reduce accuracy and polish. Some expressions are not natural for a chart report, including “spent less on transport whole in 2018” and “Household goods that are very important.” Aim for concise, accurate reporting language and check spelling carefully; varied verbs such as “accounted for” and “rose” would help describe the data more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple statements and comparisons, and most of the figures remain understandable. However, sentence structures are often incomplete or awkward, and errors recur in articles, verb forms, and sentence construction. For example, “This graph shows that how families spent” should use either “shows how families spent” or “shows that families spent”; “People spent on food is about 35%” has an incorrect clause structure; and “people’s spent 4%” uses the wrong verb form. Commas and spacing are also inconsistent, as in “While ,in 2018.” Practise building accurate comparison sentences with a clear subject and verb, then proofread punctuation and agreement. More controlled complex sentences would add range without sacrificing clarity.

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