Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-05

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 tabular chart illustrates the consumption of internet hours by various age category of European people.

Overall, teenagers were majorly involved in the usage of internet in hours as compared to youngsters and adults people. Whereas, old people were recorded less active while using an internet.

To start with, between the age of sixteen and twenty male 19 hours and female 18 hours, both approximately equally spent on social media platforms. However, female spent 1 hour extra than male from the age of 31 to 50, although minor aged male spent 2 hours more than female while using internet services.

Moreover, people who were above 50 age hardly consumed more than 3 hours marginally in both male and female, On the other hand, 26 to 30 aged people exact spent same time by using apps and websites on internet over the same period. Between the age of 21 to 25 men scrolled on internet 7 hours on average, while female's hours were reported only 5.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a summary of the main features, but the reporting of data is inconsistent and occasionally inaccurate. For instance, the claim that 'teenagers were majorly involved' is vague, and the description of the 16-20 age group as 'social media platforms' is a misinterpretation of the data provided in the prompt. Furthermore, the comparison between age groups is somewhat disjointed. To improve, ensure that all data points are accurately transcribed and that comparisons are clearly linked to the specific age categories provided in the table. The overview is present but lacks the precision required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or misused, such as the transition 'On the other hand' which does not logically connect the preceding sentence about people over 50 to the following sentence about the 26-30 age group. Referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring to 'minor aged male' or '26 to 30 aged people'. Improving the flow between sentences and using a wider variety of linking words would enhance the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and flexibility expected at higher levels. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'consumption of internet hours', 'majorly involved', and '26 to 30 aged people'. These errors do not impede communication, but they highlight a limited range of vocabulary. To reach a higher band, focus on using more natural collocations and precise terminology related to data description, such as 'average time spent' rather than 'consumption of hours'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'female 18 hours... both approximately equally spent', 'female spent 1 hour extra than male', and '26 to 30 aged people exact spent same time'. These errors involve issues with word order, article usage, and verb tense. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct sentence construction will significantly improve the quality of your writing.

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

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