Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-17
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 percentage of regular physical activity done by Australian men and women of different ages in the year 2010.
Overall, the proportion of young males participating in regular physical activity was noted as the highest percentage of that time. The proportion of middle-aged females was almost equal to highest large ratio of men. Aged men and women took part in regular physical activity with same percentage.
In 2010, young males contributed to regular physical activity with largest percentage of 52.8%, While young females ratio was 47.7%. The males of age 25 to 34 showed fair participation of about 42% . On the other hand hand females participated more than males by leading percentage of 48.9%. The males of age 34 to 44 show less interest of ratio 39.5%, but females contributed by a large ratio of 52.5%.
The Males of the age 45-54 show a little participation of 43.1%, Whereas Female show higher contribution of 53.3% which is recorded as the second highest ratio in 2010. The male of age 55 to 64 participated in small amount, while female show a proportion of 53%. The people who were aged and more than 65 took part equally in regular physical activity.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the age groups. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, though it contains some inaccuracies regarding which group was actually the highest (the 15-24 age group for males at 52.8% and the 45-54 age group for females at 53.3%). The data cited throughout the body paragraphs is generally accurate, such as mentioning the male peak at 52.8% and the female peak at 53.3%. However, the grouping and phrasing in the overview are somewhat vague, and there are minor descriptive flaws, such as stating that aged men and women took part with the same percentage when they are actually close (46.7% vs 47.1%) but not identical. Overall, the response covers the task adequately, earning a band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently with a clear overall structure, including an introduction, overview, and separate body paragraphs for different age brackets. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices and transition markers such as 'On the other hand', 'Whereas', and 'In 2010' are employed to guide the reader through the comparisons. However, referencing and transitions are at times slightly repetitive or mechanical (e.g., repeatedly using 'The males of age...' or 'While...'), and paragraph transitions could be smoother. This level of organisation and cohesion aligns well with the band 6.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common collocations and terms such as 'proportion', 'participation', 'contribution', and 'ratio'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'highest large ratio', 'fair participation', and spelling or capitalization errors ('Males', 'Female' used inconsistently). Vocabulary is sometimes repetitive, relying heavily on words like 'percentage', 'ratio', and 'participation'. Despite these limitations, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points without impeding communication, fitting the band 6.0 criteria.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating subordinate clauses using 'While', 'Whereas', and relative pronouns. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with missing articles ('While young females ratio'), incorrect prepositions ('of age 34 to 44'), subject-verb agreement issues ('Female show'), and awkward phrasing. Punctuation errors also occur, such as the double space and missing comma usage around 'On the other hand hand'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur regularly enough to prevent the text from reaching a higher band, making 5.5 an appropriate score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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