Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-07

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 chart illustrates the percentage of Australian men and women in different age group who did regular physical activity in 2010.

Overall, men were ahead in the start but women dominated throughly from age 25 to 65 and over, women in physical activity has significant edge over men. However, from age 65 and over the percentage was narrow down to 47.1%.

Initially, men were ahead with 52.8%, when there age is 15 to 24. In addition, from 25 to 34 men had 42.2% and it further declined in age 35 with 39.5% and in age 45 to 54 it improved slightly with 43.1% although, women were still ahead of men in age 55 to 64 with 45.1% of men only but it almost equalled in age 65 and over.

Secondly, Women showed clear dominance in physical activity over men from age 25 to 64, women were ahead of huge margins which showed significance of women being healthy and physically fit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include several accurate figures, including the male peak of 52.8% among 15–24-year-olds and the male low of 39.5% among 35–44-year-olds. You also recognise that women generally recorded higher participation after the youngest group. However, coverage is partial: the overview is unclear and does not accurately summarise the full pattern. Women led from 25–34 through 65 and over, not just “from age 25 to 65,” and the final figure of 47.1% is not a narrowing of the gap by itself. The account also misattributes 45.1% to men aged 55–64; that is the male figure, but the comparison with women is omitted. Report both series’ key trends and the crossover clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. This gives the reader some sense of organisation, and sequencing words such as “Initially” and “Secondly” signal movement through the response. However, progression is not consistently clear. The second detail paragraph gives no figures, while the preceding paragraph mixes age groups and comparisons, including a confusing reference to “age 55 to 64” after discussing the 45–54 group. Linking phrases such as “In addition” and “However” do not always show the relationship between the data accurately. Organise the body by age groups or by gender, and use comparisons to connect the figures rather than relying on general transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “percentage,” “declined,” “improved slightly,” and “dominance,” so the reader can understand the general subject and direction of change. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which makes parts of the report difficult to interpret. For example, “dominated throughly” and “significant edge” are imprecise, while “the percentage was narrow down” does not express the intended comparison naturally. “Huge margins” also overstates the differences, which are generally modest. Aim for precise chart language such as “higher than,” “fell to,” “rose gradually,” and “the gap narrowed,” and avoid claims about women being healthier, which the chart does not establish.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including contrast with “although” and clauses introduced by “when.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors in agreement, possessives, articles, and punctuation recur. For example, “different age group” needs a plural, “women in physical activity has” has subject–verb disagreement, and “when there age is” uses the wrong possessive and an unsuitable tense. The long sentence beginning “In addition” joins several age-group comparisons without clear punctuation, making the relationships hard to follow. Use shorter, controlled sentences to report each comparison, check singular and plural agreement, and punctuate clauses carefully before attempting more elaborate structures.

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