Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

the given bar chart compares the proportion of men and women participating in regular physical activity from different age groups in Australia in 2010.

overall, it can be seen that, women were more active than men in most age groups. the only exception of youngest group, 15 to 24. where more men Exercised daily. the highest rate for women in the 45 to 54 group, while for men it was in the youngest group.

looking at the information for men, the percentage was highest at 52.8% for those aged 15-24. after that, it dropped to a lowest level of 39.5 for the 35 to 44 group. then it increased steadily with age, rising to 46.7% for people aged 65 and over.

for women, the lowest percentage was also in youngest age group at 47.7%. the figure then rose, reaching a peak at 53.3 percentage in for women aged 45 to 54. after the rate decrease slightly but remained above 47%. women were more active than men in every age group from 25 to 64. the biggest gap was in the 35 to 44 group. where 52.5% of women exercised regularly compared to only 39.5

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully identifies the main features of the bar chart, including the overall trend and key comparisons between genders and age groups. You have highlighted the exception in the 15-24 age group and noted the peak for women. However, the report is slightly incomplete as the final sentence is cut off, leaving the comparison for the 35-44 group unfinished. While the main trends are covered, ensuring that all data points mentioned are fully articulated is essential for a higher band. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on men and women respectively. Cohesive devices such as 'overall', 'looking at', and 'after that' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by punctuation errors, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters and using full stops where commas would be more appropriate (e.g., '15 to 24. where more men'). Improving the control of these devices and ensuring consistent paragraph structure would enhance the coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, such as 'proportion', 'participating', 'steadily', and 'peak'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice and form, such as 'the only exception of youngest group' instead of 'the only exception was the youngest group'. Additionally, there are minor errors in numerical representation, such as '53.3 percentage' instead of '53.3%'. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing would help in achieving a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent errors in punctuation and capitalization, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters and incorrect sentence fragmentation (e.g., '15 to 24. where more men'). There are also minor grammatical slips, such as 'the rate decrease slightly' (should be 'decreased'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. Focusing on sentence boundaries and verb tense consistency will improve your accuracy.

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

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