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 chart depicts the routine of the students during the weekdays in UK, Japan and Germany.

Overall, the students sleep around 7 to 8 hours in all three countries, while the studying and relaxing hours fluctuate. Japanese students spend the highest amount of hours in studying.

UK and Germany students spend their hours for almost the same activities as compared to each other. Both spend the same time in relaxing i.e 7 hours, while Japanese spend just 4 hours for this.

Clearly, Japanese students seems to to be the most hardworking as they spend around the double of their time i.e 13 hours in studying as compared to students of UK and Germany i.e. 8 and 9 hours respectively.

The sleeping schedule if around the same for UK, Japan and Germany, that appears to be 8.5, 7, and 8 respectively. Japan seems have the most hardworking and dedicated students as the rest of two.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the bar chart, including comparisons between the three countries. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you correctly identify that Japanese students study more, the description of the data is occasionally imprecise, such as stating 'around the double' rather than providing a more accurate comparison. The conclusion is slightly repetitive and includes subjective commentary ('hardworking and dedicated') which is not strictly objective data reporting. To improve, ensure all data points are clearly linked to the specific countries and avoid adding personal interpretations of the students' character.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into a logical structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a summary. However, the paragraphing is weak; the text is essentially a series of short, disconnected sentences. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'UK and Germany students', 'Japanese students'). To reach a higher band, you should use a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', or 'Conversely', rather than relying on simple sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'spend', 'hours', and 'activities'. There are also some awkward phrasings, such as 'the rest of two' instead of 'the other two'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to data description, such as 'allocate', 'proportion', 'surpass', or 'marginal difference'. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you avoid repetitive phrasing and demonstrate a more flexible command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'Japanese students seems to to be' (subject-verb agreement and repetition), 'the sleeping schedule if around the same' (incorrect preposition/conjunction), and 'Japan seems have' (missing 'to'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound.

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

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