Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-04

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 compares the average time spent on the internet by European citizens of different age groups.

Overall, (16-20) age group had spend highest time on the internet, whereas usage of network had declined in between (21-51)

At the beginning, for the age group 11-15, males had spent 8 hours on internet, while females with 6 hours of usage. Secondly, (16-20), had highest usage of web, accounting for 19 hours for male, and 18hours for female. Additionally, we can clearly see that use of online platforms had decreased as age increased. For (21-25) age groups, males had spent 7 hours, whereas females for 5 hours. Moreover, for the age 26-50, internet usage remained constant, accounting for 4 hours and 3 hours, both for male and females. Finally, in the 51+ age group, internet usage was the lowest among all the age groups, with males spending only 2 hours online, while females spent slightly more time, at 3 hours.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data and makes relevant comparisons. You successfully identified the highest usage group (16-20) and the general downward trend. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped; it could be improved by mentioning the gender disparity more clearly as a key feature. Additionally, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting, such as stating usage remained constant for the 26-50 age group when the data shows specific figures for males and females. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurately transcribed and that the overview provides a more comprehensive summary of the trends observed across all categories.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the youngest to the oldest age groups. You used some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'At the beginning', 'Additionally', and 'Moreover' to link your sentences. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the paragraphing is a bit unbalanced, with the second paragraph containing the bulk of the information. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus to enhance the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the data, using terms like 'highest usage', 'declined', and 'remained constant'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'had spend highest time' (should be 'spent the most time') and 'usage of network' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). There are also minor errors in phrasing, such as 'females with 6 hours of usage'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent when describing data trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'had spend' is an incorrect tense, and there are issues with article usage ('the internet' vs 'internet') and prepositional phrases. Some sentences are slightly fragmented, such as 'Secondly, (16-20), had highest usage'. While these errors do not prevent the meaning from being understood, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of subject-verb agreement and tense consistency in descriptive writing.

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