Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-18

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 illustrates how students from the UK, Japan and Germany spend they typical weekday.

In terms of studying, Japan is in the first place. Usually they spend around 13 hours per week. In contrast to them students spend less time studying in the UK or Germany. In fact, studying is the mostly practiced activity in Japan than any other activity.

Interestingly, when it comes to relaxing, Japan is in the last place. Students in both the UK or Germany spend 7 hours for relaxing in a week. Where only 4 hours for the Japanese student. It almost looks like they sacrifice their relaxing time for their studies.

Sleeping is almost same for all 3 countries. They spend 7-9 hours sleeping in a week. Still the Japanese people spend less hour sleeping in compared to other countries but this amount can be negligible.

In conclusion, students from the UK and Germany spend their weekdays in a balance between sleeping, studying and relaxing. Where as for the Japanese students, they sacrifice their sleep and relaxing time for studying.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides a clear overview and identifies the main trends, such as Japan's focus on studying compared to the UK and Germany. However, the data reporting is inconsistent. For instance, the claim that students spend '13 hours per week' studying is inaccurate, as the chart likely refers to daily hours (given the 24-hour cycle of a day). Furthermore, the statement that sleeping is '7-9 hours in a week' is a significant misinterpretation of the data, which clearly shows daily averages. To reach a higher band, you must ensure that your interpretation of the units and timeframes is accurate and supported by the visual evidence provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs focusing on specific activities, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In terms of', 'In contrast to', and 'Interestingly'. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Where only 4 hours for the Japanese student' and 'Where as for the Japanese students'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the reader to follow the main points. You use some relevant terms like 'illustrates', 'typical weekday', and 'sacrifice'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'mostly practiced activity' instead of 'most common activity' and 'in compared to' instead of 'compared to'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'predominant', 'marginal', or 'proportion'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'spend they typical weekday' (their), 'Japan is in the first place' (Japanese students), and 'spend 7 hours for relaxing' (spend 7 hours relaxing). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic articles, prepositions, and verb forms will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.