Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-22

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.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The table depicts data regarding mean of hours spent on the Internet by different age categories in Europe.

Overall, the data presents that females showed fewer average hour spent on the internet in contrast to the gender male. European people in the category of 16-20 had the highest activity on internet whereas after 20 years the average hour spent on internet plummeted with the lowest activity after 51+ age group.

The age group between 11 to 15 with 8 male and 5 female had higher activity than years after 20+. Furthermore, the average hours spent on internet surged with 19 male and 18 females whereas after the age 20 average internet activity declined.

Age category of 21-25 only contributed with 7 male and 5 female whereas 26-30 and 31-50 had 4 male, 4 female and 3 male and 4 female respectively. Two male and three female user showed activity on the internet after 51 years of age making up the lowest category among the different age groups in European people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, but the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. While you identify the 16-20 age group as the peak, the description of the data is occasionally inaccurate. For instance, you state that the 11-15 age group had higher activity than years after 20+, but the data shows the 16-20 group is the highest. Furthermore, the reporting of specific figures is sometimes confusing or misaligned with the provided table. To improve, ensure that your summary of trends is supported by precise data points and that you clearly distinguish between the age categories to avoid over-generalisation or factual errors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. The use of cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'whereas' is present but occasionally mechanical or used to connect ideas that do not logically follow one another. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the age groups. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words to create a smoother flow between sentences and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'plummeted', 'surged', and 'categories'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'gender male' instead of 'males' or 'mean of hours' instead of 'mean number of hours'. Some phrasing is repetitive, and the control over more sophisticated vocabulary is inconsistent. To improve, focus on using collocations correctly and expanding your range of reporting verbs and nouns to describe trends more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'females showed fewer average hour spent' (should be 'hours') and 'Two male and three female user showed' (should be 'users'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and pluralisation throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and plural forms, and try to incorporate more varied complex sentence structures with greater accuracy.

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

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