Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-01

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)

Compairing weekly income between 1968 and 2018 gives us understanding of families's consumption average in different grounds.

Families spent more for food, fuel, clothing and personal goods in 1968 however housing, transport and leasure activities became more expensive when calendars showing 2018.

Biggest development in those 50 years were food expences, clothing and footware, and personal goods lowering by 50%. However housing and transport almost doubled but this is not even the worst part because leasuee expences has been roughly trippled.

This chart shows us that thanks to modernisation and technology a lot of burden from our sholders has been lightened in 50 years. But we can not say that for every aspect of peoples costs. Sometimes time is not the medicine but becomes the pain itself.

Housing and transport are 2 of the most important cost from families's wallets but 50 years was n

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several genuine broad changes, including the fall in food spending and rises in housing, transport and leisure. However, the response only partially reports the chart: it gives no actual percentages, omits household goods, and does not clearly establish an overview based on the largest categories. Some comparisons are inaccurate: fuel spending fell from about 6% to 4%, and clothing and personal goods fell by roughly half, so saying families spent more on these in 1968 is broadly right, but the claim that housing and transport “almost doubled” is imprecise, while leisure rose from 9% to 22%, not merely a general tripling. The final sentence is unfinished, and the response is five words below the required minimum. Include key figures and complete the summary without unsupported commentary about technology or burdens.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence: an opening statement, comparisons, and a concluding comment. Linking words such as “however” and “but” show an attempt to connect contrasting information. Nevertheless, the progression is difficult to follow because the chart summary is mixed with speculative commentary about modernisation, burdens and time, rather than being organised around the main data. The final sentence, “but 50 years was n”, is incomplete and leaves the ending unclear. Some connections are also awkward, such as “when calendars showing 2018.” Use a clear overview followed by one paragraph comparing the main increases and another covering decreases or stable figures; keep each paragraph focused on chart information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “consumption,” “development,” “modernisation” and “trippled,” and the reader can generally identify the categories being discussed. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a chart: “families's consumption average,” “grounds,” “more expensive,” and “burden from our sholders has been lightened” do not express the data precisely. Spelling errors such as “Compairing,” “expences,” “leasure,” “leasuee” and “trippled” are noticeable and sometimes slow understanding. Prefer neutral, precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “share of weekly spending,” “increased” and “declined.” Check spelling carefully and avoid metaphorical phrases that imply causes or value judgements not shown by the chart.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “however” and a clause beginning “because.” However, errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships unclear. For example, “Families spent more for food” uses an incorrect grammatical pattern, while “Biggest development … were” has faulty article use and subject–verb agreement. “When calendars showing 2018” lacks a correctly formed verb, and “Housing and transport are 2 of the most important cost” has a plural agreement problem. The final sentence is incomplete, so its intended structure cannot be understood. Practise complete, controlled sentences with accurate past-tense verbs when describing the two years, and check agreement, articles and plural forms before finishing.

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