Band 8 model answer
A model answer written to illustrate a Band 8 response to this question, with the rubric breakdown and what carries it. Written by us as a teaching example, not a verified exam script.
“The pie chart shows the average UK household's weekly spending by category in 2020.”8
Overall
8
Task response
8
Coherence & cohesion
8
Lexical resource
8
Grammar
The pie chart illustrates how average UK household weekly expenditure was distributed across categories in 2020.
Overall, housing and utilities represented the largest single area of spending, while restaurants and hotels accounted for the smallest named share. Notably, the residual 'other' category matched housing in size, suggesting that spending was spread across numerous smaller items beyond the named groups.
Housing and utilities was the largest identified category, accounting for 27% of weekly expenditure, a proportion equalled only by the 'other' grouping. Transport was the second largest specific category at 14%, followed closely by food and drink at 13%, so these two essential categories combined made up just over a quarter of spending.
Recreation represented 11% and restaurants and hotels the smallest named share at 8%, giving a combined figure of 19% for these two leisure-related categories. Altogether, the five named categories accounted for 73% of expenditure, with the remaining 27% distributed among miscellaneous items captured in 'other'.
- •Clear overview that flags both the dominant category and the 'other' parity before the detail.
- •Accurate grouping of transport and food as 'just over a quarter' and leisure categories at 19%.
- •Effective use of proportion language: 'equalled only by', 'combined made up', 'miscellaneous items'.
- •Paragraph structure moves logically from largest to smallest without mechanical listing.
- •Could clarify that the 'other' category is not a single identifiable segment, to avoid implying it is comparable to housing in its specificity.
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