Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-30

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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates about how income weekly spending by families in eight different categories form 1968 to 2018.

Overall, spending is is increased by 1969 and decreased by 2018. Food accounted for the largest proportion over the period of 1968 whereas, Leisure became the biggest spending category in 2018.

In 1968, families spend around 35% on Food making it the highest proportion of 1968. However, the figure got dropped by 18% on 2018. Similarly, clothing and footware also dropped from 10 to half of the portion while, personal good also declined from 8% to half. Expenditure of Fuel and power fell from 6% to 4%.

In contrast, spending on leisure were rose from 9% in 1968 to 22% in 2018. Similarly, Transport also increased from 8% to 14% while, housing spending grow from 10% to approx 19%. Meanwhile, household goods remained stable approx 8% on both the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main shift from food being the largest category in 1968 to leisure leading in 2018, and you report several relevant figures, including food at about 35% and leisure rising from 9% to 22%. However, the overview is unclear and inaccurate: “spending is increased by 1969 and decreased by 2018” gives the wrong year and does not describe the overall pattern. In fact, some categories rose and others fell. The account also omits household goods from the detailed comparisons until the final sentence, and the food figure is given as 18% rather than approximately 17%. The response is one word below the required minimum. A precise overview and more accurate, balanced reporting of the key changes would strengthen task coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group falling and rising categories. This makes the main comparisons reasonably easy to follow, and transitions such as “In contrast” and “Meanwhile” help signal relationships. The organisation is not fully controlled, however. The overview’s statement that spending “increased by 1969 and decreased by 2018” conflicts with the later category-by-category account, disrupting progression. Several linking words are also used mechanically or with faulty punctuation, as in “Similarly, clothing and footware also dropped … while,” and “Similarly, Transport also increased … while,”. Keep the useful grouping, but make the overview consistent with the data and connect comparisons more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “declined,” “remained stable,” and “expenditure,” which allows you to describe changes and comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning awkward: “income weekly spending” in the introduction, “the figure got dropped,” and “the highest proportion of 1968.” There are also spelling and form errors, including “footware” and “personal good.” Use standard category labels and more precise reporting language, such as “weekly household expenditure,” “fell,” and “the largest share.” This would make the description clearer and more natural without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer comparisons, and the reader can generally understand the intended trends. However, errors occur in verb forms, agreement, tense, and sentence construction. Examples include “families spend” instead of “families spent,” “spending on leisure were rose,” and “housing spending grow.” The opening phrase, “illustrates about how income weekly spending,” is also structurally unclear. Some punctuation around contrast clauses is faulty, particularly commas before “while.” Practise forming accurate past-tense descriptions and checking subject–verb agreement; for example, “Leisure spending rose from 9% to 22%.” More reliable control of these basic patterns, alongside varied but accurate comparisons, would improve clarity.

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