Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 below illustrate the percentage of Australian men and women in different groups of age who did regular physical activity in 2010. Overall, the ratio of men was higher as compared to the women, but on the other hand at the age of 40s the ratio was same as men in age 20s, at the age of 60s both was same.

At early age 52.8% males do exercise daily and females have 47.7%. On the other hand 42.2 percent men and 48.9% women at the age of 30s.The main difference in the percentage at the age of 40s with the lower ratio of men 39.5 and peaked value of females with 53.3.

Males continue with minor difference 45.1 at the age 60s, compared with females have 53%. One main similarity in the chart with little difference is 46.7% males and 47.1 females at the age of 65 and over.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and include several relevant figures, including 52.8% for young men, 48.9% for women aged 25–34, and the near-equal figures for those aged 65 and over. However, the overview is inaccurate: men were not generally more active; women recorded higher rates in every age group except 15–24. The claim that the rates were the same for men in their 40s and men in their 20s is also unsupported. Some key patterns are under-reported, especially the female peak at 45–54 and the male low at 35–44. The response is 142 words, below the 150-word minimum; the nine words copied from the prompt are not counted. Add a clearer overview and accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic progression from an introduction and overview to age-group details, and phrases such as “On the other hand” and “compared with” show an attempt to connect comparisons. However, the overview combines conflicting claims, and the body does not follow a consistently clear pattern: the discussion moves from younger groups to the 40s, then to the 60s, before returning to 65 and over. Some linking phrases are awkward or do not express the intended relationship, while “One main similarity” introduces a point without a clear connection to the preceding comparison. Organise the body in age order and use straightforward links such as “By contrast” and “In the oldest group” to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “peaked value,” “minor difference,” and “similarity,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing data. “The ratio of men” is not the right term for a percentage, and “at early age” and “at the age of 40s” are awkward. “Males continue with minor difference” does not clearly describe the figures, and “do exercise daily” adds a frequency that the chart does not provide. Aim for accurate collocations such as “the proportion of men” and “the rate of regular activity,” and avoid adding details not shown in the chart.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of sentence forms, including a contrastive overview and comparisons between the two sexes, but control is inconsistent. Errors occur in basic agreement and verb forms: “The bar chart below illustrate” should be “illustrates,” and “both was same” needs a plural verb and a clearer construction. The sentence beginning “The main difference in the percentage…” is a fragment, while “compared with females have 53%” is not grammatically complete. Articles and prepositions are also often missing or misplaced, as in “at the age 60s.” These errors sometimes make relationships difficult to follow. Practise complete comparison sentences and check subject–verb agreement, tense, and sentence boundaries.

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