Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

THE CHART BELOW ILLUSTRATES DATA ABOUT HOW FAMILIES IN ONE COUNTRY SPENT THEIR WEEKLY INCOME IN 1968 BETWEEN 2018.

OVERALL, IT IS CLEAR THAT FIRSTLY FAMILIES IN ONE COUNTRY SPENT THEIR HIGHEST WEEKLY INCOME TO FOOD. IN CONTRAST,SPENT THEIR LOWEST INCOME TOFUEL AND POWER. THEN LAST YEAR ONE FAMILY SPENT THEIR HIGHEST WEEKLY INCOME ON LEISURE. OTHERSIDE SPENT LOWEST WEEKLY INCOME ON FUEL AND POWER FURTHERMORE PERSONAL GOODS.

IN 1968, FAMILIES SPENT THEIR 35 PERCENT MONEY ON FOOD, WHICH WAS THE HIGHER THAN OTHERS. ADDITIONALLY IN1968, ONE FAMILIES SPENT THEIR 10 PERCENT MONEY ON HOUSING , CLOTHING AND FOOTWARE. IN2018 FAMILIES SPENT THEIR 17 PERCENT MONEY ON FOOD. AND THEY SPENT THEIR 19 PERCENT INCOME ON HOUSING AND SPENT 5 PERCENT INCOME ON CLOTHING AND FOOTWARE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IN 1968 EVERY FAMILY SPENT 7 PERCENT MONEY ON FUEL AND POWER . AFTER THAT IN 2018 THEY SPENT THEIR 3 PERCENT MONEY ON FUEL AND POWER. OTHERSIDE IN 1968 AND IN 2018 , ONE FAMILIES SPENT THEIR SAME INCOME ON HOUSEHOLD GOODS. THEY SPENT 8 PERCENT MONEY ON IT. IN 1968 FAMILIES SPENT THEIR 7 PERCENT MONEY ON PERSONAL GOODS AND TRANSPORT. BUT IN 2018 THEY SPENT THEIR 4 PERCENT ON PERSONAL GOODS AND 13 PERCENT ON TRANSPORT. TRANSPORT INCREASED AND PERSONAL GOOD DECREASED. IN 1968 FAMILIES SPENT THEIR 9 PERCENT MONEY ON LEISURE BUT IN 2018 THEY SPENT 22 PERCENT ON LEISURE.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main categories and make several relevant comparisons, including the fall in food spending from 35% to 17%, the rise in leisure from 9% to 22%, and the unchanged 8% for household goods. Your overview also identifies food as the largest category in 1968 and leisure in 2018. However, some figures are inaccurate: fuel and power is about 6% in 1968 and 4% in 2018, not 7% and 3%; personal goods is 8% in 1968, not 7%. The overview’s claim that fuel and power was the lowest in 1968 is also incorrect, as it was the smallest category in 2018. More precise reporting and a clearer overview of the main shifts would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an overview to details about the two years, and it groups several categories together. However, progression within and between paragraphs is often difficult to follow. Phrases such as “Then last year,” “Otherside,” and “On the other hand” are used mechanically or do not show a clear contrast, while repeated openings such as “In 1968 families spent” make the report feel list-like. Some references are unclear, for example “one family” and “they” when discussing the figures for all families. Organise the details into clearer comparisons—such as categories that rose, fell, or stayed stable—and use linking expressions only when their relationship is accurate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “weekly income,” “percent,” “housing,” “transport,” and “leisure,” so the reader can generally identify the categories being compared. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated or do not collocate naturally, such as “spent their 35 percent money” and “spent their highest weekly income to food.” “Otherside” is also not an appropriate form for expressing contrast, and “footware” is misspelled. These choices sometimes make the report less clear or less natural. Aim for concise, accurate reporting language such as “accounted for,” “spending on,” and “rose/fell to,” while checking the spelling of chart labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, including comparisons with “but” and clauses introduced by “which.” However, control of sentence structure is weak: “In contrast, spent their lowest income…” has no clear subject, and “Then last year one family spent…” shifts awkwardly between time reference and subject. There are also recurring problems with articles, plurals, and sentence boundaries, as in “one families” and “In 1968 families spent… . After that in 2018 they spent…”. These errors can make relationships between ideas difficult to interpret. Practise complete subject–verb sentences, consistent plural subjects, and accurate punctuation; then combine comparisons using controlled clauses such as “while” or “whereas.”

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