Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-27

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 bar graph illustrates the information about how unknown country families spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018

Overall, food got the majority in 1968, whereas in 2018 is decreased. Families are spent more for leisure and housing in 2018. Some families do not own vehicles, so they are spending less for fuel and power. People are using there weekly income for household equipments similarly.

Families spent there money for food at 35% in 1968, while in 2018 that decreased at 17%. Clothing and footware families spent their 10% income in 1968 and it reduced at the year 2018. Household good are importand things so every family is using equaly, and the other things usage is less compared to food, hosing and leisure.

In constant, leisure and housing are simliarly increased in both years. Every family is spending 14% if there weekly income for transport, thats why only some families are using fuel and power. Mainly this one unknown country family people are spending there income for food, Housing, transport and leisure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast that food took the largest share in 1968 and fell by 2018, and you mention the rise in leisure and housing. The figures for food and transport are accurate, and the response includes several relevant categories. However, the overview is incomplete and some claims are unsupported or inaccurate: housing rose from 10% to 19%, not simply “similarly increased,” and transport was 14% in 2018, but this does not show that families used less fuel because they lacked vehicles. You also omit the notable rise in transport and the fall in clothing, fuel and personal goods, while household goods remained at 8%. A clearer overview and more precise comparisons would make the key features better developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details, and it uses some linking expressions such as “while” and “whereas.” However, progression is difficult to follow because ideas are repeated or grouped without a clear comparison. For example, the final paragraph returns to leisure and housing after these have already appeared, then shifts to transport and fuel without a logical link. Phrases such as “the other things usage is less” do not make the relationship between categories clear. Organise the details into meaningful comparisons—for example, categories that rose, fell, or stayed stable—and use clear references to the two years. This would improve the overall flow and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “weekly income,” “decreased,” “transport,” and “household,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning unclear. “Food got the majority” is not a natural way to describe the largest spending share, and “household equipments” is unsuitable for this category. There are also spelling errors such as “footware,” “importand,” “simliarly,” and “hosing,” alongside repeated use of “spending” and “families.” Use precise terms for proportions and changes, and check spelling and word forms. This would make the comparisons clearer and more appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including comparisons with “while” and “whereas,” but grammatical control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and sentence structure appear in examples such as “in 2018 is decreased,” “Families are spent,” and “In constant, leisure and housing are simliarly increased.” There are also problems with articles, agreement, and possessives, as in “there weekly income” and “Household good are.” These errors sometimes make the intended relationship between the data and the explanation difficult to follow. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions of the two years and use straightforward comparison patterns, such as “Food accounted for 35% in 1968, compared with 17% in 2018.” Check each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.