Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-02

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 provide information about the proportion of families in one country that spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. Average weekly spending by families in these duration they spent their income on different eight things. Mostly peoples spent their income on food items in different time period in 1968 and in 2018. And that one is the most common weekly spending income by families. But fuel and power is least weekly spentable items. In 1968 mostly families spending their weekly income on food approximately 35%. But in 2018 families spending weekly on food approximately 17%. And food is the most common spending reason of their income. And fuel and power is least common reason of spending their income. In 1968 they spent their income approximately 6.5%. But in 2018 they approximately 4%. But housing is another reason that people spending their income approximately 10% in 1968, and in 2018 they spent approximately 19%. Clothing and footware, household goods, and personal goods having same average. But transport and leisure has same average approximately in 1968, 6.5% and 7%. But transport spent their income in 2018 approximately 14%. And leisure spent their income approximately 22.5% in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main categories and report several important changes, including the fall in food spending from about 35% to 17%, the rise in housing from 10% to 19%, and the increase in leisure to roughly 22%. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: food was the largest category in 1968, but leisure—not food—was largest in 2018. Fuel and power was the smallest category in both years, which you do recognise. Some comparisons are also misreported: clothing, household goods and personal goods did not have the same average, and transport and leisure were not similar in 1968. A clearer overview and more accurate selection of comparisons would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response includes relevant information, but its organisation does not guide the reader through the chart clearly. The opening repeats the task, and the overview is followed by another paragraph that largely repeats the same points. Ideas are joined mainly with repeated “And” and “But,” while the long final section moves between categories without a clear sequence. For example, food and fuel are discussed, then housing, then several categories are grouped together before transport and leisure. Use distinct paragraphs for an overview and for the main comparisons, and group figures by meaningful changes—for instance, categories that rose versus those that fell. This would create clearer progression and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to identify the chart’s subject and categories, using terms such as “weekly income,” “approximately,” “housing,” and “transport.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “least weekly spentable items,” “most common spending reason,” and “they spent their income approximately 6.5%.” Use standard chart language such as “accounted for,” “the smallest share,” and “spending on.” Also check spelling in “footware” (the chart label is “footwear”) and avoid repeating “spent their income” in nearly every comparison. More precise collocations would improve clarity and variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences, but grammatical control is inconsistent, and many sentences contain errors. For example, “The chart provide” has subject–verb disagreement, while “families spending their weekly income” lacks a correctly formed verb phrase. The opening sentence, “Average weekly spending by families in these duration they spent their income…,” is incomplete and difficult to interpret. Articles and sentence structure are also problematic in phrases such as “in different time period” and “fuel and power is least common reason.” Most comparisons rely on the same simple pattern, with limited accurate use of more varied structures. Practise complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use past-tense forms consistently when describing the two years.

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