Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-14

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 graph given mainly highlights the typical weekday for students in three different country. The first one mentioned in graph is "UK" in which the student equally balances its time among all three activities but in this bar chart the most time spent is on 'sleeping'. The next one is "Japan" whose student showcase the most hectic routine as the student astonishingly spend most of their time in studying. Still, they do not compromise their time on sleeping and eventually relax lesser in comparison to other two countries. Finally, ''Germany'' also has a similar routine as of students of "UK" as the time spend on sleeping, studying and relaxing is mostly same. If we compare all three bars, the bar chart shows that the most hardworking students are the students of Japan as most of time spend by them is studying. Then comes Germany and finally the last is UK as they spend the least amount of time as compared to other two ones

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task requirements by identifying the main features of the bar chart. You successfully compared the three countries and highlighted the primary activities. However, the response lacks a clear overview or summary paragraph, which is essential for Task 1. The analysis is somewhat repetitive, and the description of the data could be more precise; for instance, you mention that UK students 'equally balance' their time, but the chart shows distinct differences. To improve, ensure you group data logically and provide a clear, concise summary of the overall trends at the beginning or end of your report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into a single paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. While there is a logical flow from one country to the next, the lack of paragraphing is a significant weakness. You use some cohesive devices like 'The first one', 'The next one', and 'Finally', but these are somewhat mechanical. To reach a higher band, you should structure your response into clear paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on specific comparisons. Using a wider variety of linking words would also improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'most time spent' and 'relax lesser' are slightly unnatural. You attempt to use descriptive language such as 'astonishingly' and 'hectic', which is good, but ensure these are used in appropriate contexts. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'country' instead of 'countries' and 'time spend' instead of 'time spent'. Focusing on more academic collocations and ensuring correct word forms will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('student showcase', 'student... spend'), incorrect verb forms ('time spend' instead of 'time spent'), and awkward phrasing ('similar routine as of students'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of quotation marks. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent verb tense usage throughout your report. Proofreading for these common errors will significantly enhance the quality of your writing.

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

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