Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The bar chart below shows the percentage of Australian men and women in different age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Histogram illustrates the percentage of men and women of Australia invloved in physical activity having different ages.

Overall percentage is not fluctuating dramatically. Teenagers men have shown more interest in healthy activities as compared to women and this can be seen that a bit aged women invloved in more physcial activities then aged men.

The highest percentage of women go for physical activities are of 45 to 54 years old in Australia with a percentage of 53.3%, and for men that is 52.8% lies in the age of 15 to 24 years.

Interest of men for living a healthlife droped significantly among the age group of 35 to 44 which is lowest of all data 39.5%. Moreover in very old age, females do more physical activities that is 47.1% and for males that is 46.1%.

overall Women of all ages involved in more physical activities, except teenagers men lying between 15 to 24 age group.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the bar chart, including the highest and lowest points for both genders. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The overview is a bit vague, stating that the percentage is 'not fluctuating dramatically,' which is not entirely accurate given the variations across age groups. While you have identified key data points, the comparison between genders could be more systematic. To improve, ensure you group data logically and provide a clearer, more accurate summary of the overall trends rather than just listing individual statistics. The final sentence is also slightly confusing regarding the gender comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. Some sentences lack clear logical flow, such as the final sentence, which feels disconnected from the previous analysis. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'conversely,' 'in contrast,' 'furthermore') to connect ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several awkward phrasings, such as 'Histogram illustrates' (it is a bar chart), 'teenagers men,' and 'living a healthlife.' These errors, while not impeding communication, demonstrate a limited control over word choice and collocation. To improve, focus on using more academic terminology appropriate for describing data, such as 'proportion,' 'trend,' 'peak,' and 'decline,' and ensure you use correct adjective-noun collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include missing articles ('the' before 'percentage'), incorrect pluralization ('teenagers men' instead of 'teenage men'), and tense inconsistencies ('droped' is misspelled, and 'invloved' is used incorrectly). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and consistent verb forms to improve accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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