Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-17

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 5.0)

The bar chart illustrates the number of Australian male and female of six distinct categories who engaged in daily fitness activity in 2010.

Overall, regular physical activity were most common in all different age groups in female. While male adults were higher than female.

To begin with, for the youngest age group (15 to 24 years old), about 52.8% male did regular exercise, while women were little lower at 47.7%. Moving on another age group female adults (25 to 34 age group) were higher than male 48.9% and 42.2% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response3.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report two accurate comparisons: men lead in the 15–24 group (52.8% versus 47.7%), while women lead among 25–34-year-olds (48.9% versus 42.2%). However, the response covers only two of the six age groups and gives no meaningful overview of the full pattern. The statement that activity was most common among women in all age groups conflicts with the youngest-group figures, and “While male adults were higher than female” is unclear and overgeneralised. The response is also 60 words below the required minimum. To develop the report, describe the remaining age groups, identify the overall gender pattern and its exceptions, and support the overview with key figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an attempted overview, and a paragraph beginning “To begin with” that gives specific data. “Overall” and “Moving on” help signal the stages of the report, and the two comparisons are presented in a generally understandable order. However, the progression stops after the second age group, so the report does not form a complete account of the chart. The overview’s two statements also sit awkwardly together, and the final sentence’s “respectively” requires clearer parallel phrasing. For stronger organisation, group the age ranges logically, use a separate overview that accurately summarises the whole chart, and connect each comparison explicitly to the relevant age group.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “age group,” “regular exercise,” and “respectively,” so the topic is usually clear. There is also an attempt to vary wording with “engaged in” and “Moving on.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “number” should describe a count rather than percentages, “daily fitness activity” does not match the chart’s regular activity, and “female adults” is not a natural label for the age group. “Male” and “female” are also used inconsistently as nouns and adjectives. Use precise terms such as “percentage,” “men,” “women,” and “regular physical activity,” and vary comparison language with phrases such as “exceeded” or “was higher than.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a more complex contrast, as in “about 52.8% male did regular exercise, while women were little lower at 47.7%.” The main comparisons remain understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to limit accuracy. For example, “regular physical activity were” should use a singular verb, and “Australian male and female” needs plural nouns or a different construction. “While male adults were higher than female” is an incomplete and grammatically unclear contrast, while “women were little lower” is missing an article. Build accurate comparison sentences first, then add variety using clauses with “whereas” or “while”; check subject–verb agreement and articles.

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