Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-22

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 chart illustrates about how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.

Overall, the chart give the information about how families spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. The average weekly spending by families in 1968 and 2018. In 1968, families spent their weekly income for food 35 percent and in 2018 it was about 17 percent. In 1968, families spent their weekly income for housing 10 percent and in 2018 it was about 18 percent. In 1968, families spent for fuel and power 6 percent and in 2018 it was 4 percent. For clothing and footware in 1968 spent income about 10 percent and in 2018 it was 5 percent.

For household goods in 1968 spent income 8 percent and in 2018 it was same as 8 percent. For personal goods in 1986 spent income 8 percent and in 2018 it was about 4 percent. For transport spent income in 1968 was 8 percent and in 2018 it was about 14 percent. And for leisure spent income in 1968 was 8 percent and in 2018 it was about 13 percent. It was higher then the other.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You report figures for all eight categories and make several accurate comparisons, including the fall in food spending from 35% to about 17% and the rise in housing from 10% to around 18–19%. However, the overview repeats the task rather than identifying the main trends. The most important features are that food was the largest category in 1968, while leisure became the largest in 2018, and that spending shifted notably towards leisure, housing and transport. The leisure figure is substantially understated: it was about 22% in 2018, not 13%. You also write “1986” instead of 1968 for personal goods. These omissions and inaccuracies leave the summary only partly focused on the chart’s key features.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows the chart’s categories in a generally understandable order, and the repeated “in 1968” and “in 2018” phrasing helps readers identify the years being compared. However, the information is presented as one long body paragraph after an overview that largely repeats the introduction, so the progression is not clearly shaped. Repeated sentence openings such as “In 1968, families spent…” make the account mechanical, while “And for leisure…” is an abrupt transition. The final sentence, “It was higher then the other,” does not clearly identify what “it” refers to or which category is being compared. Group the main trends into paragraphs and use concise comparisons to create a clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “weekly income,” “housing,” “fuel and power,” and “household goods,” so the reader can follow the categories being described. However, the range of reporting language is limited, with “spent” and “about” repeated throughout. Some expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “spent their weekly income for food” and “It was higher then the other”; these make comparisons less natural. There is also a spelling error in “footware” (the correct spelling is “footwear”). Aim to use a wider range of accurate terms for proportions and change, and choose collocations that clearly express how a share of income was allocated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most of your sentences use simple past-tense structures, and the basic comparisons are usually understandable. However, the range is limited, and recurring errors affect control. For example, “the chart give” needs subject–verb agreement (“the chart gives”), while “For clothing and footware in 1968 spent income…” lacks a clear subject and has an incomplete sentence structure. The opening “The chart illustrates about how…” also uses an unnecessary construction. Several sentences repeat the same pattern rather than combining information accurately. Practise forming complete comparison sentences with a clear subject, such as “Families allocated 10% to housing in 1968, compared with about 19% in 2018,” and check agreement and sentence boundaries.

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