Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 provided bar chart compares the proportion of Australian male and female across six age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010.

overall, Females aged 45 to 54 had the highest percentage of physical activity whereas males had the lowest percentage those aged 35 to 44. Despite both age groups showed fluctuations throughout the period, female activity remained higher.

At the beginning, Male aged 15 to 24 had the highest percentage of physical activity at about 52.8% while women stood at 47.7%. Then, male activity decreased slightly while aged 25 to 34 but women increased at about 1%. In contrast, for the 25 to 34 category, male participation dropped significantly to 42.2%, while female engagement rose to 48.9%.

For the middle age group 35 to 44, female increased slightly at about 52.5% then it reached at the highest-level women aged 45 to 54 recorded the greatest figure on the chart at 53.3% and the 55 to 64 age group at 53%. By contrast, males aged 35 to 44 dropped slowly at 39.5% highest-level male activity rose to 43.1% next it increased slowly and reached at 45 .1% among 45 to 54 aged males.

In the oldest category (65 and over),46.7% of men and 47.1% of women exercised regularly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task and provides a clear overview of the main trends. You successfully identified the highest and lowest points and made relevant comparisons between genders. However, the reporting of data is occasionally confusing. For instance, the sentence 'male activity decreased slightly while aged 25 to 34 but women increased at about 1%' is slightly unclear in its phrasing. Additionally, the description of the middle age groups becomes somewhat cluttered, making it difficult for the reader to follow the specific data points. To improve, ensure that each comparison is clearly linked to the specific age group and that the data points are presented with greater precision and clarity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific age groups. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'By contrast', and 'In the oldest category' to guide the reader. However, the flow within the third paragraph is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. The transition between sentences is occasionally abrupt, and the use of referencing could be more precise to avoid ambiguity. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would help to achieve a more natural and sophisticated progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'fluctuations', 'participation', and 'engagement'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'female increased slightly at about 52.5%', where 'participation' or 'the percentage for females' would be more accurate. You also have some awkward phrasing, such as 'reached at the highest-level women'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Focusing on more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive sentence structures will enhance your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'Male aged 15 to 24' (should be 'Males'), 'female increased slightly' (should be 'female participation'), and 'reached at 45 .1% among 45 to 54 aged males'. There are also issues with article usage and preposition placement, such as 'reached at the highest-level'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Increasing your control over basic grammar and ensuring subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your writing.

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

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