Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-03
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The bar chart shows the typical weekday for students in three different countries.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The bar chart displays information about the routine activities of weekdays for students in three different countries in terms of three categories: sleeping, studying, and relaxing.
Overall, it can be seen that Japanese students spend most of the weekdays doing study work, which is the highest of the three countries, while very few prefer to relax. Equal weekdays are spent by both the UK and German students while relaxing.
In the United Kingdom, students spend 8.5 weekdays, while 8 weekdays are spent studying, whereas only 7 weekdays are spent relaxing, which is fewer than studying. However, looking at Japanese students, they spent only 7 weekdays while sleeping, which is 1.5 weekdays less compared to UK students. 13 weekdays are spent while studying, which is greater than in the other two countries. The least number of weekdays are spent while relaxing, only 4 weekdays.
Nevertheless, referencing German students. This student spent 8 weekdays while sleeping, more than Japan. While 9 weekdays are spent studying, it is higher than in the UK but lower than in Japan. Whereas 7 weekdays are spent in relax mode, which is equalized with the UK but higher than in Japan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the bar chart, including comparisons between the three countries. However, the interpretation of the data is fundamentally flawed. The student repeatedly refers to the data points as 'weekdays' (e.g., '8.5 weekdays'), whereas the chart clearly measures 'hours'. This misinterpretation of the units of measurement significantly impacts the accuracy of the report. While the main trends are identified, the failure to correctly label the data makes the information presented factually incorrect. To improve, ensure you carefully read the axis labels and legend before drafting your response to avoid misrepresenting the data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs for each country. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Nevertheless', and 'whereas' are used to link ideas. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'This student spent 8 weekdays', which does not clearly refer back to the German students. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the overall flow is hindered by the repetitive structure of the sentences and the confusion regarding the data units, which makes the logical progression feel somewhat forced.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is repetitive and lacks precision. Phrases like 'doing study work' and 'in relax mode' are unnatural and informal. The student uses basic descriptors such as 'greater than' and 'higher than' repeatedly. There is a lack of variety in reporting verbs and comparative structures. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise academic vocabulary, such as 'allocate', 'devote', 'proportion', or 'figure', and avoid colloquial phrasing. The misuse of 'weekdays' instead of 'hours' also negatively impacts the lexical accuracy of the report.
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 'Equal weekdays are spent by both the UK and German students while relaxing' (awkward passive construction) and 'referencing German students' (a sentence fragment). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are occasionally problematic, such as 'they spent' (past tense) when describing a general chart (present tense). While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms. Focusing on sentence variety and proofreading for basic errors would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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