Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-11

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 given histogram illustrates the weekday routine of learners in UK, Japan and Germany.

Overall, most of the students in Japan and Germany spend their time in studying. Students spend less time in relaxing in all the three countries as compare to sleeping and studying.

It is evident from the graph that relaxing is least preferred in Japan and only 4% of students spend time in relaxing. Relaxing is considered less in UK and Germany too and 7% of students mainly relaxes during weekdays.

There is not major difference in sleeping. 8.5 proportion of UK students prefers to sleep during weekdays , 8% in Germany and 7% in Japan. In UK, 8% students like to spend their time in studying whereas 9% in Germany.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the response. While you have identified the main features of the chart, the analysis is quite brief and lacks the depth required for a higher band. You have attempted to make comparisons, but the data reporting is inconsistent and lacks sufficient detail to fully cover the task. To improve, ensure you provide a more comprehensive overview and include more specific data points to support your observations, ensuring you meet the minimum length requirement to allow for full development of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into short paragraphs, which helps with readability. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'It is evident from the graph', but the transition between sentences could be smoother. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the overall structure feels a bit disjointed due to the limited length. To improve, try to use a wider range of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus that flows logically into the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. For example, you frequently use the word 'spend' and 'relaxing'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'histogram' (the image is a bar chart) and '8.5 proportion', which is not a standard way to express data. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a more varied range of vocabulary, including synonyms and more precise terminology for describing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that affect clarity, such as 'as compare to' instead of 'compared to', and '8.5 proportion of UK students prefers' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structures are somewhat limited. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and using a wider variety of complex sentence structures, ensuring that you proofread carefully to eliminate minor slips.

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

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