Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-16

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 data presents that how pupils from UK, Japan and Germany spend their weekdays by doing this three activities are sleeping, studying, and relaxing.

Overall, The most striking point is the students in Japan where they do maximum studies. While UK learners do all three activities modestly on weekdays, however, the Germany students also prefer to studies. Whilst, throughout the whole graph relaxing is the least prefering activity as compare with other two.

Firstly, as compare to other nations students Japan students were doing studies almost touch the top 13 pupils where as only 7 do sleeping and 4 is relaxing. After that, the Germany is the second highest where 9 pupils prefer to give time on their studies 8 is sleeping and 7 relaxing.

In contrast, the UK is on an average for all three activities where 8.5 students are prefer to sleep more while 8 is doing studies and the least one is relaxing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by identifying the main features of the bar chart. However, the analysis is hampered by inaccurate reporting of the data. For instance, stating that Japanese students 'touch the top 13' is unclear and potentially misinterprets the scale. The comparison between countries is present but lacks precision, and the description of the data is somewhat disjointed. To improve, ensure that figures are cited accurately and that the overview clearly synthesises the most significant trends rather than just listing individual data points. The response covers all three countries, but the lack of clarity in data interpretation prevents a higher score.

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 often mechanical or inaccurate, such as the awkward use of 'Whilst' and 'After that' to start sentences. The progression of ideas is sometimes interrupted by grammatical errors, making the flow feel disjointed. While there is an attempt to use linking words, they are not always used appropriately to connect the data points logically. Improving the variety and accuracy of transition signals will help the information flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and occasionally repetitive. Phrases like 'do maximum studies' and 'prefer to give time on their studies' are unnatural and lack the precision required for an academic report. There are also issues with word choice, such as 'prefering' instead of 'preferred' or 'preferable'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic meaning, but it lacks the sophistication and flexibility expected at higher bands. Focusing on more precise collocations related to data description, such as 'the highest proportion' or 'a significant amount of time', would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The data presents that how pupils...', 'Germany students also prefer to studies', and 'as compare to'. There is a lack of control over sentence structure, with many sentences being poorly constructed or containing subject-verb agreement errors. While there is an attempt to use complex structures, they are often faulty. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of prepositions and comparative structures.

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

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