Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-01

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

Overall, The average hours spent on the internet by European people were teenagers. Meanwhile, the average hours recorded lowest for older people.

Initially, the average hours spent by age group 16-20 years recorded highest with 19 hours for male and 18 hours for female. The age group of 11-15 years spent 8 hours by male and 6 hours by female. Moreover, the average hours spent on internet by age group 21-25 recoded 7 hours for male and 5 hours by female.

In addition, the average hours spent on internet by age group 26-30 recorded identical 4 hours for male and female. The average hours on internet by age group 31-50 stood for 3 hours by male and 4 hours by female. Finally, the average hours spent lowest by age group greater than 51 were 2 hours by male and 3 hours by female.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making comparisons. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; stating that the hours 'were teenagers' is grammatically incorrect and confusing. While the data is presented, the analysis lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the trends. The report would benefit from grouping the data more effectively to highlight the overall decline in internet usage as age increases, rather than listing each age group sequentially. The data points are generally accurate, but the lack of a strong, analytical overview prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In addition', 'Moreover', 'Finally'). The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. While the logical progression is present, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the somewhat disjointed sentence structure limit the flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels like a list of data points rather than a cohesive report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is significant repetition of phrases like 'average hours spent on the internet' and 'recorded'. The student uses basic terminology and misses opportunities to use more descriptive language to compare the data (e.g., 'surpassed', 'accounted for', 'a downward trend'). Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'stood for 3 hours', which is not the standard way to describe statistical data. Expanding the range of verbs and nouns would significantly improve the quality of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that, while not impeding communication, are noticeable. For example, 'The average hours recorded lowest for older people' lacks a verb, and 'The average hours spent on the internet by European people were teenagers' is a category error. There are also issues with prepositions and articles (e.g., 'spent 8 hours by male'). The range of complex structures is very limited, and the control over basic grammar needs improvement to reach a higher band.

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

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