Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-18

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 bar chart illustrates the comaparison of men and women in six different categories of age groups who engaged in physical activity in 2010.

Overall, females were more physically active than the men in five categories of age groups, with the exception of the youngest group where young males performed well. 52.8% of men performed good aging from 15 to 24 years whereas females with the percentage 47.7 performed less than males.

From age group 25 to 34 till the last age group 65 and over, more females participated, with the males that considerably declined in last five categories.

In contrast, the proportion of females from 47.7% in the 15 to 24 category increased steadily to 48.9% in 25 to 34 age group, 52.5% in 35 to 44 age group, with peaked perecentage of 53.3% in 45 to 54 age group, that than declined to 53% in 55 to 64 age group, resulting a little low percentage of 47.1% in last category.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview and identifies key trends, such as the general trend of female participation being higher in most age groups. However, the report lacks sufficient detail regarding the male data. While you mention the male participation declined, you do not provide specific figures for the older age groups to support this, which is a requirement for a comprehensive summary. Additionally, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting; for instance, you state that 52.8% of men performed well in the 15-24 age group, but the chart shows this figure for the 15-24 age group generally, and the comparison needs to be more precise to ensure all parts of the task are fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction and an overview. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', and 'whereas', which help guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas within the final paragraph is slightly mechanical and repetitive in its structure ('increased steadily to... 48.9% in... 52.5% in...'). The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final sentence where the connection between the data points could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'engaged', and 'participated'. However, there are some spelling errors ('comaparison', 'perecentage') and awkward phrasing, such as 'performed good aging' and 'resulting a little low percentage'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring accurate spelling of key academic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'with the males that considerably declined' and 'that than declined', which affect the clarity of the sentences. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are instances where sentence structure becomes convoluted, making it difficult to follow the comparison. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.