Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-09

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 bar chart illustrates the propotion of men and women who did regular exercise in different age groups in Australia in 2010.

Overall, women were more active in regular physical activity then men in Australia in most age groups except the youngest age group where men were slightly active then women. In contrast, the oldest age group men and women were approximately equal to each other.

In the 15 to 24 age group, 52.8% of men did regular exercise, which was higher than the figure of women at 47.7%. In the oldest age group, age 65 and over, the percentage of both genders almost identical, with 46.7% for men and 47.1% for women.

In the middle-aged groups, 35 to 44 and 45 to 54, women were significantly equal at 52.5% and 53.3% respectively, men

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report several accurate comparisons, including the male lead among 15–24-year-olds (52.8% versus 47.7%) and the near-equal figures for those aged 65 and over. The overview also correctly notes that women exceed men in most age groups. However, the response is incomplete: it stops mid-sentence after “men” and does not report the 25–34 figures or finish the comparison of the middle-aged groups. The claim that women were “significantly equal” is unclear, and the overview’s description of the youngest-group difference as slight understates the gap. The response is also 16 words below the required minimum. Develop the missing comparisons and provide a complete summary of the main trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs giving age-specific details. Phrases such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” and “In the 15 to 24 age group” help signal the stages of the summary. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph ends abruptly at “men,” leaving the comparison unfinished and disrupting the reader’s understanding. The overview also repeats the idea of activity in Australia without clearly setting out the main pattern across all age groups. Organise the details into a complete comparison of younger, middle, and older groups, and ensure each paragraph ends with a finished point. This would make the connections between the figures clearer and less dependent on basic linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “age group,” “regular exercise,” and “approximately equal,” so the topic is generally clear. There is some variation in how you describe the data, but several choices are inaccurate or awkward: “propotion” is misspelled, “significantly equal” does not express a clear comparison, and “slightly active then women” appears to mean that men had a slightly higher participation rate. “Regular physical activity” is also repeated, and “did regular exercise” is less natural than a concise chart-reporting phrase such as “engaged in regular exercise.” Aim for precise comparison language—such as “higher than,” “exceeded,” and “the figures were similar”—and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, for example, “In the 15 to 24 age group, 52.8% of men did regular exercise, which was higher than the figure of women at 47.7%.” This structure communicates a comparison, and the response is generally understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and agreement remain: “women were more active … then men” uses an incorrect comparative construction, while “the percentage of both genders almost identical” is missing a verb. The phrase “with 46.7% for men and 47.1% for women” is attached to an incomplete sentence, and the final sentence fragment leaves the grammar unfinished. Practise complete comparative sentences, including a clear subject and verb, and proofread each sentence for tense and agreement.

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

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