Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-07

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 graph illustrates the proportion of men and women doing regular physical activity in 2010.

Overall, in 15 to 24 age group men showed greater interest in doing regular physical activity followed by women in 45 to 54 age group. In age group 65 and over the percentage of men and women doing regular physical activities was quite similar.

Looking at the details, in age group 15 to 24 52.8% of the men were interested in doing the regular physical activities followed by 46.7% of men in 65 and over. The graph for 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 age group men quite lower interest in doing regular physical activities with 42.2% and 39.5% respectively 43.1% of men likes to do physical activities regularly in 45 to 54 age group. While 55 to 64 age group of men likes to do exercises regularly by 45.1%.

In contrast, women between 45 to 54 age groups like to do physical exercises by 53.3% which is the highest among other age groups followed by women between age group of 65 and over had slightly rose up than men by 47.1% . Women in between ages 15 to 24 and 25 to 34 were less attracted to do exercises with 47.7% and 48.9%. While 52.5% of the men in between age group of 35 to 44 were interested to do regular exercise respectively 53% of the women had shown interest in doing regular physical exercise in age group 55 to 64.

The greatest difference in men and women in doing physical exercise regularly is in the age group 15 to 24 where men showed the interest and in 45 to 54 the women showed the interest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the bar chart and made relevant comparisons. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with data from the graph. However, there are some inaccuracies in your reporting of the data. For example, you state that 52.5% of men in the 35-44 age group were interested in exercise, but the chart shows a different figure. Additionally, some of your comparisons are slightly confusing, such as the final sentence which lacks clarity regarding the specific data points being compared. To improve, ensure that every figure cited matches the graph exactly and focus on grouping data more logically to highlight trends rather than just listing percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In contrast' and 'Looking at the details', to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. Some transitions feel mechanical, and the referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when you switch between age groups and genders. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the data, using terms like 'proportion', 'percentage', and 'age group'. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation. For instance, 'men showed greater interest in doing regular physical activity' is a bit repetitive, and 'slightly rose up' is not the most natural way to describe statistical data. You also struggle with precision in your descriptions, often using 'interested in doing' rather than more academic alternatives like 'participated in' or 'engaged in'. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and nouns would help you reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., '43.1% of men likes to do'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'respectively 53% of the women had shown interest'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of percentages and age ranges. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining your sentence structure will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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