Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-27

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 proportion of Australian people from both genders and different ages who did regular exercise during 2010.

Overall, it is evident from the graph that significantly higher percentage of women did more consistent physical activity then men,whereas men of younger age group did vice versa.

To begin with, in 2010 age group 15 to 24, men did more regular workout than women which 52.8% and 47.7% respectively, while in age group 25 to 34 women are at 48.9 percent and men are at 42.2%.

From ages 35 to 44, the difference of proportion between both gender is 13 percent. In 2010 between people of aged 45 to 64, females were doing more regular physical activity than males at almost 53 percent and men were in between 43 to 45 percent. Ladies and mens of ages 65 and over were approximately on same level at 46.7 percent and 47.1 respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

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 age groups and genders. An overview is attempted, stating that women generally did more physical activity except in the youngest age group, although the phrasing is slightly awkward ("significantly higher percentage of women did more consistent physical activity then men,whereas men of younger age group did vice versa"). Most key data points are accurately reported, such as the 15-24 age group figures (52.8% for men and 47.7% for women). However, there are minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasing when reporting data, such as "the difference of proportion between both gender is 13 percent" for ages 35 to 44 (where the values are 52.5% and 39.5%, a difference of 13%) and confusion in data assignment in the final sentence ("46.7 percent and 47.1 respectively" which inverts the male and female figures). Overall, the response meets the core requirements for Task Achievement at a Band 6 level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific age groups. Logical progression is generally maintained. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or awkwardly used, such as "To begin with," and "From ages 35 to 44... In 2010 between people...", which creates a slightly repetitive and clunky flow. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the concluding sentence where the order of percentages does not match the order of the subjects ("Ladies and mens of ages 65 and over were approximately on same level at 46.7 percent and 47.1 respectively"). Paragraphing is present but could be structured more cleanly. Overall, coherence and cohesion fit the Band 6 descriptor well.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with appropriate general terms like "proportion," "percentage," "regular physical activity," and "age group." The student attempts some less common vocabulary and comparative structures, but there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as "regular workout," "difference of proportion," and non-standard plurals/forms like "mens" instead of men. Spelling is generally fine, but word formation and collocation slips prevent the score from reaching a higher band. The lexical range is sufficient to communicate the main data points, aligning with Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as "The bar chart illustrates the proportion..." and subordinate clauses introduced by "while" and "whereas." However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text, including missing articles ("significantly higher percentage"), subject-verb agreement issues ("women are at 48.9 percent"), and awkward prepositions or phrasing ("on same level at 46.7 percent"). While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur regularly and demonstrate limited control over complex structures compared to higher bands. This performance is characteristic of Band 5.5, rounded to 6.0 based on positive marking of mixed simple and complex forms.

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

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