Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-19

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 illustratres the proportions of six different age groups of Australian men and women doing regular physical activity in 2010.

Overall, the most consistently performing physical activity group for women was the youngest category and for the men was the mid age group.However, the percentages of the eldest group were approximately equal for both men and women.

Looking at the data details, the highest percentage of about 52.8% of women of age 15 to 24 years were regularly doing physical activity. The percentage decline for 25 to 34 year women at 42.2%, further drop at 39.5% for 35 to 44year women, which is the lowest percentage in women categories of ages. The percentage rose at 43.1% and 45.1% for women age category 45 to 54 years and 55 to 64 years respectively.

For men age groups,the highly active group was 45 to 54 years at percentage of 53.3% and 55 to 64 years at proportions of 53%. The percentage was dropped in younger categories of men age that was 52.5% for 35 to 44 years, 48.95 for 25 to 34% and 47.7% for 15 to 24years. The eldest group of both men and women was approximately equally active at about 47.1% and 46.1% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and includes an overview, but the overview misstates the main patterns: women’s activity peaks among those aged 45–54, not in the youngest group, while men’s lowest figure is among 35–44-year-olds rather than a “mid age group” peak. Several figures are assigned to the wrong sex or age group. For example, 52.8% belongs to young men, not women; 42.2% and 39.5% are also male figures, while 53.3% and 53% are female figures. The final comparison also gives 46.1% for older women, whereas the chart shows 47.1%. These inaccuracies make the summary only minimally responsive to the data. Focus first on accurate overall trends and comparisons, then select a few correctly attributed figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs, with the male and female data intended to be separated. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the grouping is confusing because the first detail paragraph describes women using male figures, and the second describes men using female figures. Transitions such as “Looking at the data details” and “However” are understandable but somewhat formulaic, and the overview’s claims do not prepare the reader for the details that follow. Improve progression by grouping each sex with its correct figures and organising comparisons around the main trend—for example, the female peak and the male low point—rather than listing values in a sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a chart, including “proportions,” “percentage,” “decline,” “rose,” and “approximately equal.” These choices show an attempt to vary language rather than repeat only “number.” However, some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “most consistently performing physical activity group,” “highly active group,” and “the percentage was dropped.” The spelling error “illustratres” also detracts from accuracy, and “48.95” appears to be a mistaken rendering of 48.9%. Aim for standard chart-reporting collocations such as “the proportion who exercised,” “reached a peak,” and “fell to.” Check spelling and ensure that every percentage is clearly linked to the correct group.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including clauses introduced by “which” and “that,” so there is some structural variety. Meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems remain. Examples include “The percentage decline for 25 to 34 year women,” which lacks a finite verb, and “The percentage was dropped,” where the passive form is not appropriate. There are also missing spaces after commas and full stops, as in “groups,the” and “group.However,” and inconsistent age-group phrasing such as “35 to 44year women.” Use complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, and proofread sentence boundaries and spacing. More accurate control of these forms would make the comparisons easier to follow.

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