Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-25

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 depicts the typical weekday for students in three different countries. Three categories have been discussed in which students spent their weekday time, which include sleeping, studying, and relaxing.

Overall, the most striking feature is that students spent a massive amount of time studying, followed by sleeping and relaxing. However, students in the UK and Japan have managed their time equally in all three figures.

It is evident that students of Japan spent 13 hours, a significant amount of time in their studies, followed by 7 and 4 hours in sleeping and relaxing respectively. On the other hand, students in the UK have distributed their time equally in all three categories, spending 8.5 hours in sleeping, the highest than other, followed closely by studying with 8 hours and 7 hours in relaxing.

In Germany, students spent a large amount of time in studies like in Japan. They spent 9 hours in studying, followed closely by sleeping with 8 hours, while in relaxing they spent 7 hours of their weekday time

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the bar chart. You have successfully selected and reported the data for each country. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical. For instance, the statement that UK students 'managed their time equally' is inaccurate, as the data shows distinct differences (8.5, 8, 7). Furthermore, the overview is slightly confusing; stating that students spent a 'massive amount of time studying' is a generalization that does not accurately reflect the data for all three countries, particularly the UK. To improve, focus on making more precise comparisons between the countries rather than listing the figures for each one individually.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs for each country. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the report. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'followed by', and 'In Germany' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by minor inaccuracies in the interpretation of the data, such as the claim that UK students distributed their time equally. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect the comparisons between the three countries more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, including terms like 'depicts', 'categories', 'significant amount', and 'distributed'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'managed their time equally' and 'highest than other'. The latter is a grammatical error that also impacts lexical precision. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that comparative structures are used accurately. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'the highest than other' should be 'the highest of the three' or 'higher than the others'. Additionally, 'spent 13 hours, a significant amount of time in their studies' is a slightly fragmented construction. There are also minor issues with preposition usage and tense consistency. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex sentences would improve your score.

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

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