Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-19

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The table gives information about the average hours spent on the Internet by European people of different age groups.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Average hours spent on the Internet by European people of different age groups

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Introduction:

The table illustrates information about the average hours spent on the internet by European people of different age groups.

Overview:

There are people categorized as male and female of age group start from 11 to 51 above which shows the hours they spent on the internet. The maximum hours are 19 in male and 18 in female.

Body paragraph 1:

Firstly, The age group of people 11 to 15 in which male spent 8 hours on the internet while female spent 6 hours on the internet. Secondly, the people of 16 to 20 which are teenagers have more usage of internet where male spent 19 and female 18 hours .Thirdly, The age of 21 to 25 people , they use 7 hours male and 5 hours female.

Body paragraph 2:

In Addition, the people of age 26 to 30 which are adults use equal ratio of internet which is 4 hours in both male and female. Morever, the age group of 31 to 50 their ratio is 3 and 4 hours in male and female respectively. Lastly, people of age 51 above which are old have less usage of internet which is 2 hours in male and 3 in female.

Conclusion:

In the end, people of age 16 to 20 which are teenagers have more usage of internet while the group of 51 above which are old people have less usage of internet in Europe.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all age groups and genders presented in the table. However, the overview is weak; it merely lists the maximum values rather than identifying the most significant trends or overall patterns. The body paragraphs are essentially a list of data points without sufficient synthesis or meaningful comparison. For instance, stating 'male spent 8 hours... while female spent 6 hours' is a simple recitation of data. To achieve a higher band, you must group the data to highlight trends, such as the peak usage among teenagers compared to the steady decline in older age groups. The conclusion is repetitive and does not add new analytical value.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Thirdly', and 'In Addition' are used in a formulaic way that lacks natural flow. Furthermore, the referencing is sometimes unclear; for example, 'the people of 16 to 20 which are teenagers have more usage of internet' is clunky. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences connect smoothly rather than just listing facts would significantly improve the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You frequently use the word 'spent' and 'usage' throughout the text. There is a lack of variety in reporting verbs and nouns related to data analysis. For example, instead of repeating 'spent', you could use 'devoted', 'allocated', or 'logged'. Additionally, there are some awkward phrasing choices, such as 'equal ratio of internet', which is not the correct way to describe equal time spent. Expanding your range of synonyms and collocations would help convey the information with more precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'age group of 11 to 15'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction, such as 'the age group of 31 to 50 their ratio is 3 and 4 hours'. Subject-verb agreement and pluralization are also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence structure and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy is essential.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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