Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-24

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)

The bar chart compares the percantage of weekly income spent on product and services by families in 1968 and in 2018.

It is clear that there was an increasing trend in the percantage of money spent on housing,transport and leisure, while other categories showed a decrease. In contrast, household goods remained unchanged in the both years.

In trems of food, consumer expenditure was 30% in 1968,and this figure fall around 18% in 2018. Similarly, fuel and power, clothing and footware experienced a decline from nearly 7% to 4% and 10% to 5% in order to. In addition, personal goods was approximately 8% in 1968, which was dropped around4% in 2018.

On the other hand, the weekly income spent on housing was 10% in 1968, is was grew gradually almost 18 % in 2018. Moreover, by 2018, transport had rose by 4% compare to 1968. In 1968, lesiure was showed rap

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast that spending on housing, transport and leisure rose, while household goods stayed stable and several other categories fell. The figures for housing, transport and personal goods are broadly consistent with the chart, and you include relevant comparisons. However, some key data are inaccurate: food was about 35% in 1968, not 30%, and leisure rose from about 9% to 22%, but the response ends before completing this important comparison. The overview also says “other categories showed a decrease,” which overlooks household goods and would be clearer if it named the largest changes. To strengthen the report, check figures against the chart and complete the comparison of the most significant categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing categories that fell and rose. Linking phrases such as “In contrast,” “Similarly,” and “On the other hand” help signal relationships between points. However, progression is weakened by the incomplete final sentence, “In 1968, lesiure was showed rap…,” which leaves the final comparison unfinished. Some transitions are also not fully logical: “In order to” does not connect the two declining figures appropriately, and the shift from the overview to individual data could be more systematic. Group the categories consistently by trend, then finish each comparison before moving on, using clear references to both years.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “weekly income,” “expenditure,” “decline,” and “remained unchanged,” and the reader can generally understand the categories being compared. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision. For example, “percantage” is misspelled, “product and services” is not a natural description of these chart categories, and “was grew gradually” is an inaccurate phrase. “In order to” is also used where a comparison connector is needed. Aim for precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “fell to,” and “rose by,” and check spelling of chart labels such as “leisure” and “footwear.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparative sentences, including “In contrast, household goods remained unchanged in the both years.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors in verb forms and sentence construction sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “this figure fall,” “which was dropped,” “is was grew,” and “transport had rose.” The final sentence is also incomplete, so its intended meaning cannot be recovered. Articles and punctuation need attention as well, as in “the both years” and the missing spaces after commas. Practise accurate past-tense forms (“fell,” “was,” “rose”) and build comparisons with a clear subject and verb before adding more complex clauses.

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