Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-04

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 illustrates the proportion of Australian men and women in various age groups who took part in regular physical activity in 2010.

Overall, women figures were higher all age groups except the youngest one, where men were clearly ahead of women. Among the oldest age group, both genders were almost equal, but women were slightly ahead with a few margins.

Males saw their highest proportion of 52.8% in 15 to 24 age group, while the lowest figure was of 39.5% in middle age group, aged 35 to 44. We observed a sharp competiton in 65 and over where both genders were almost indentical where men only trailed by 0.4 percentage points

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and report several accurate features, including the male peak of 52.8% among 15–24-year-olds, the male low of 39.5% among 35–44-year-olds, and the near-equal figures for the oldest group. However, the response covers the data only partially: it gives no figures for most female age groups and does not describe the important pattern that women’s activity rises to a peak of 53.3% at ages 45–54 before declining. The overview also says women were higher in all groups except the youngest, which is accurate, but the comparison is not developed. The response is 113 words, below the required 150, leaving key information under-reported. Include a fuller overview and compare the main trends with supporting figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with specific male figures. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “while” help signal contrast. However, the final paragraph is incomplete and ends abruptly, so the discussion does not progress to the female data or a balanced comparison. Some connections are also unclear: “We observed a sharp competiton in 65 and over” does not clearly explain what is being compared. Develop the body in a logical sequence—for example, describe the overall gender pattern, then compare the age-group trends—and use clear linking phrases to connect each figure to the trend it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “regular physical activity,” “highest,” “lowest,” and “percentage points.” These choices make the chart’s subject and several comparisons clear. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural expressions: “women figures” is not a natural collocation, “sharp competiton” does not convey the intended comparison, and “with a few margins” is unclear. The misspellings “competiton” and “indentical” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise chart language such as “participation rate,” “the figures were almost identical,” and “by a narrow margin.” This would make the comparisons more natural and exact without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and the opening sentence is clear and grammatically controlled. The overview’s contrast clause, “except the youngest one, where men were clearly ahead,” also communicates the main exception. Some errors remain, particularly with articles and agreement: write “women’s figures were higher in all age groups” rather than “women figures were higher all age groups.” In “the lowest figure was of 39.5%,” the construction is awkward; “the lowest figure was 39.5%” is more accurate. The final sentence also needs clearer punctuation and structure to separate the comparison from its supporting figure. Check articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries when revising, while continuing to use varied sentence patterns.

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