Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-17

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 internet European citizens of six different age groups.

Overall, the figure for male and female among aged 16 to 20 showed maximum hours spent on internet while the time was minimum among older aged people. Sometimes, male consumed higher amount of hours than female and the trend was opposite among female.

To begin with, the figure for younger people among aged 16 to 20 years increased and it sharply decreased to 8 to 6 hours in male and female respectively. The time slightly reduced to 7 to 5 hours among 21 to 25 years male and female. However, the time levelled off between 26 to 30 years at 4 for both male and female. Moreover, the figure sharply decreased to 3 to 4 hours among the aged 31 to 50 years. In addition, the time declined among 51+ aged people that was just 2 to 3 hours.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern: internet use peaks among 16–20-year-olds and is lowest among the oldest group, and you report several figures accurately, including 7 and 5 hours for ages 21–25 and 4 hours for both sexes aged 26–30. However, coverage is incomplete and some descriptions are unclear. The opening says the 16–20 figures “increased” without giving the peak values of 19 and 18, and the overview’s claim that the trend was “opposite among female” is not clearly supported or explained. The account also moves through the age groups without a clear comparison of the overall male–female pattern. Include the peak figures and state the key comparisons precisely to make the summary more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the age groups. Sequencing the figures from younger to older groups helps the reader follow the table, and linking phrases such as “However” and “In addition” show an attempt to connect information. At times, though, the progression feels mechanical, with several transitions added where a direct comparison would be clearer. The sentence beginning “To begin with” is also confusing because it starts with the 16–20 group and then refers to a decrease to the 11–15 figures. Grouping the peak and subsequent decline together, then summarising the older groups, would create a clearer progression. Clarify references such as “the trend” so readers know exactly which comparison is meant.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “maximum,” “minimum,” “sharply decreased,” and “levelled off,” so the reader can generally understand the intended trends. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are unnatural, which makes parts of the report difficult to interpret. For example, “male consumed higher amount of hours” is not a natural way to describe the figures, and “the time levelled off between 26 to 30 years” is imprecise. Repeated use of “figure,” “time,” and “among” also reduces variety. Choose precise terms such as “average hours,” “men,” and “women,” and use comparison language that directly states which group recorded more or fewer hours.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “while” and “that,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, some sentence structures and grammatical patterns are inaccurate or incomplete. In “the information about the average hours spent on internet European citizens,” the relationship between the hours and the people is not expressed correctly. “The figure for male and female among aged 16 to 20 showed maximum hours” also lacks a clear grammatical construction, while “that was just 2 to 3 hours” has an unclear reference. Use complete, direct structures—for example, “Men aged 16–20 spent an average of 19 hours online”—and check articles, prepositions, and clause references. This would improve accuracy while retaining sentence variety.

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