Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-31

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 Chart illustrates us the differences between 1968 and 2018 about weekly spending of families. In 1968 most of the cost goes to food which is 35% ,Housing and clothing and footware is 10% each.where fuel and power was 6%, household goods and personal goods , Transport was 8% ; lastly Leisure was 9% .On the other hand in 2018 ,the weekly cost of families is not that much higher compared to 1968. Food was much lower at 17% but housing rises from 10 to 19% . Sections like fuel and power, clothing and footware personal goods are quite similar ,these all dicreased in 2018 but Household goods remain same in both year. However ,Transport and Leisure increased in 2018 . In 1968, families spent most of their money in food but in 2018 , most income was invested on Leisure and they both had significant difference compared to other and we find exact same view on Housing and Transport that one is more changeable than others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast accurately: food was the largest category in 1968, while leisure became the largest in 2018, and you report several relevant figures, including food at 35% and 17% and housing rising from 10% to 19%. You also note that household goods stayed unchanged. This gives the response a clear overview and covers both years. However, some comparisons are vague or incomplete: saying the weekly cost was “not that much higher” is not supported by the chart, which shows proportions of income rather than total spending. The final point about housing and transport being “more changeable than others” is unclear. A more precise overview and clearer comparisons across the largest increases and decreases would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response moves broadly from 1968 figures to 2018 comparisons and then to an overall contrast, so the reader can follow its general direction. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “However” help signal comparison. However, the information is crowded into one paragraph, and several ideas run together, especially the list beginning “Sections like fuel and power…” and the final sentence. Some links are not fully logical: “However” introduces increases in transport and leisure after a sentence about categories that decreased, but the relationship could be expressed more clearly. Group the response into an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph comparing key figures; use clearer sentence boundaries and avoid repeating the same contrast.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “weekly spending,” “increased,” “decreased,” and “remain same,” and you attempt to describe changes rather than merely list figures. The range is adequate for the task, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “the weekly cost…is not that much higher,” “money…invested on Leisure,” and “more changeable.” Spelling errors in “footware” and “dicreased” also reduce accuracy. Use neutral, precise language for proportions: for example, say that a category “accounted for” a share of income or that its proportion “rose” or “fell.” Check the spelling of chart labels and choose collocations that describe spending rather than investment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “but” and “whereas”-type contrasts, and the main message is generally understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and punctuation occur in several places. For example, “The Chart illustrates us the differences” has an incorrect verb pattern, while “Housing and clothing and footware is 10% each” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The sentence beginning “Sections like fuel and power…” lacks clear punctuation and a complete structure, and “Household goods remain same” is missing an article. Use shorter, complete sentences when listing data, check agreement and articles, and separate clauses with appropriate punctuation. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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