Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-11

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 men and women in Australia that have different age groups and did regular physical activity in 2010.

Overall, women aged 35 to 64 can do more exercise as compared to men, and only 15 to 24 years old boys have a potential of exercise that is 52.8% and after 24 years their activities decreased.

First of all, the physical activities of women of all age groups increased, after the age of 64 it will fall.

Secondly, men's activities fell from 52.8% to 39.5% in the 35 to 44 group, then recovered slightly to 46.7% in the oldest group.

In conclusion, there is clear evidence, that women in Australia are more active and physically fit than men, except in the youngest age group.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad comparison that women were more active than men in most age groups, and you report the male low point of 39.5% and subsequent rise to 46.7% accurately. However, the overview is incomplete and some details are inaccurate: women’s activity did not increase across every age group, since it peaked at 53.3% among 45–54-year-olds before edging down, and the youngest men were more active than women. The claim that women were more active “except in the youngest age group” is broadly correct, but the chart compares reported activity, not physical fitness or potential. The response also falls 21 words short of the required minimum. Add key female figures and describe both series’ main patterns more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, two detail statements and a concluding sentence. Sequencing phrases such as “Overall,” “First of all” and “Secondly” help signal the stages of the response. However, progression is limited because the female trend is described separately and inaccurately, while the conclusion largely repeats the overview rather than adding a useful comparison. “First of all” and “Secondly” feel mechanical, and the relationship between the overview’s claims and the later details is not always clear. Grouping the figures by the main contrast—men leading only in the youngest group, women leading in the others—would create a clearer progression and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “age groups,” “decreased” and “recovered,” so the reader can understand the general subject and the male trend. However, the range is limited, and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing a chart. For example, “have different age groups” does not clearly express that the figures are grouped by age, while “a potential of exercise” and “can do more exercise” do not accurately describe participation rates. “Activities” is also repeated where “participation” or “activity levels” would be more precise. Aim for concise, data-focused wording and use verbs such as “rose,” “peaked,” “declined” and “exceeded” accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce several understandable simple sentences and attempt more complex structures, such as “then recovered slightly to 46.7% in the oldest group.” However, control is uneven in longer sentences. In the opening, “men and women in Australia that have different age groups” has an unclear relative clause; “men and women across different age groups” would be a clearer structure. The overview’s “women aged 35 to 64 can do more exercise as compared to men” also uses an awkward comparison pattern and an unsuitable modal construction for past data. Tense shifts in “it will fall” are inconsistent with the chart’s 2010 figures. Review relative clauses, comparison forms and past-tense reporting, and check comma placement, as in the unnecessary comma after “evidence.”

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