Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-23

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 family is spent their expense on food in 1968 35% and in 2018 thier food expense reduce and come in between of 15%-20%.

In 1968 their weekly housing expense income is 16% but in 2018 it increase to 19%.

Their food and power expense is 7% in 1968 and it decrease in 2018 from 7% to 4%.

Their clothing and footware expense is 10% in 1968 and in 2018 it was decrease half

Their houshold is 8% in 1968 and their result is same in 2018 as 1968

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify several relevant categories and report some broadly accurate figures, including food at 35% in 1968, clothing at 10%, and household goods at 8% in both years. However, the response covers only part of the chart: it omits personal goods, transport and leisure, and gives no clear overview of the main changes. Some figures are inaccurate: housing was 10%, not 16%, in 1968, while fuel and power was 6%, not 7%. The food figure for 2018 is described only as a range. The response is also 89 words, below the required 150, so the information is too limited to summarise the chart adequately. Include an overview and compare the largest rises and falls using accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, with each sentence addressing a spending category, so the reader can follow the general topic. However, it reads as a list rather than a developed summary: there is no introduction or overview to establish the main pattern, and the categories are not grouped or compared. Repeated openings such as “In 1968” and “Their…” make the progression mechanical. Some links between years are present, for example “but in 2018,” though the comparison is not consistently expressed. Organise the response into a brief introduction, an overview, and comparison paragraphs, grouping categories that rose, fell or stayed similar.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use basic task-related vocabulary such as “expense,” “reduce,” “increase,” and “same,” which allows the reader to recognise the categories and intended comparisons. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate or unclear, including “The family is spent their expense,” “their result is same,” and “food and power expense.” Spelling errors such as “thier,” “footware,” and “houshold” also reduce accuracy. Use precise chart language and vary the verbs for describing data, while checking spelling and collocations. For example, refer to “the proportion of weekly income spent on food” rather than “food expense.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response mainly uses short, simple statements and attempts basic comparisons between the two years. However, grammatical errors occur frequently, and the sentence patterns are repetitive. “The family is spent their expense” has an incorrect verb construction and agreement, while “it increase to 19%” needs a past-tense verb. In “it was decrease half,” the passive form is incorrect and the comparison is incomplete. Articles and possessive references are also inconsistent, as in “Their food and power expense.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and comparison structures, such as “Housing rose from 10% to 19%,” and combine related figures into clear, correctly punctuated sentences.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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