Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-03

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 given bar chart shows the percentage of Australian men and women done regular physical activity in 2010.

In general, it can be clearly seen that male of 15 to 24 age group made the largest share of regular physical activity, while percentage of female of age groups were increased and people of 65 and over done almost same physical activity.

Looking at the bar chart in more detail, men of 15 to 24 age group made the largest share at 52.8%, while percentage for women had decreased to 47.7%. Percentage of men of 25 to 34 and 45 to 54 age groups had similar percentage of men and women, percentage of men at about 43.1% and women at about 52.5%. Percentage of men 55 to 64 age group was 45.1%, although percentage for women increased to 53%.

What is more, percentage of 35 to 44 age group had the highest difference in activity, men had 3.5% and women had 53.5%. Percentage of 65 and over age group for both are were same at 47.1%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include several relevant figures, including the male peak of 52.8% among 15–24-year-olds and the female figure of 53% for ages 55–64. However, the overview is not fully accurate: women’s activity did not simply increase across the age groups, since it peaked at 53.3% among 45–54-year-olds and then declined. There are also important data errors: men aged 35–44 recorded 39.5%, not 3.5%, and women in that group recorded 52.5%, not 53.5%. The claim that the sexes had almost the same rate among those aged 65 and over is also incorrect (46.7% versus 47.1%). Select the main trends and check each comparison against the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. Linking phrases such as “In general” and “What is more” help signal the stages of the report. However, the progression within the detail paragraphs is difficult to follow: age groups are presented out of sequence, and the sentence beginning “Percentage of men of 25 to 34 and 45 to 54…” combines separate comparisons unclearly. Repeated use of “percentage” also makes the writing feel mechanical, while references such as “both” in the final sentence are not expressed clearly. Organise the details by age group or by a clear trend, and use concise comparisons so readers can follow the data without having to infer the connections.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “age group,” “increased,” and “difference,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are unnatural or imprecise for describing a bar chart. For example, “made the largest share” is not an appropriate collocation for an activity rate, and “women had decreased to 47.7%” suggests a change over time rather than a comparison between age groups. Repetition of “percentage” also limits variety. Use precise reporting language such as “the proportion who exercised,” “stood at,” “was higher than,” and “peaked at.” These choices would make the comparisons clearer and more natural while retaining an appropriately formal style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex sentences, particularly with “while” and “although,” but control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make comparisons hard to interpret. Examples include “men and women done regular physical activity,” “male of 15 to 24 age group,” and “people of 65 and over done,” where verb forms, articles and sentence structure are faulty. The sentence about the 25–34 and 45–54 groups lacks a clear grammatical relationship between its parts, and “both are were same” contains an incorrect verb construction. Most sentences follow a simple pattern, with limited accurate variety. Practise forming complete comparison sentences with correct subjects and verbs, and check articles, plurals and agreement before finishing.

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