Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-27

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 spend there weekdays in three different countries, namely UK, Japan, and Germany.

Overall, students spend more time in studying than relaxing. while sleeping time varies.

In Japan, learners spend more than half of their day in studying which is 13 hours per day while dividing the other half in relaxing and sleeping. They spend least time in relaxing as compare to pupil in Germany and UK.

The students in Germany and UK spend equal time in relaxing i.e. seven hours in a day while time period for study is slightly higher in German students.

On the other hand, the people spending time in sleeping is slightly higher in UK's students which is 8.5 hours in a day than of German students which is 8 hours per day.

Overall, the students in Japan and Germany spend most of their time in studying, while spending least time for relaxing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the bar chart and makes relevant comparisons between the three countries. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you correctly identify the study hours for Japan, the description of the other categories is slightly repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical focus. To reach a higher band, ensure that you not only report the data but also highlight the most significant trends or contrasts more effectively. For instance, the comparison between the UK and Germany regarding sleep and study time could be more concisely integrated to improve the flow of information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In Japan', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally mechanical, and some sentences feel disconnected. For example, the transition between the discussion of Japan and the other two countries could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes slightly unclear, such as in the sentence 'the people spending time in sleeping is slightly higher in UK's students', which is grammatically awkward and impacts the logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'varies', and 'proportion'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'spend there weekdays' (should be 'their') and 'as compare to pupil' (should be 'compared to pupils'). The repetition of 'spend' and 'time' throughout the text limits the sophistication of your writing. To improve, try to incorporate more varied verbs and nouns related to data description, such as 'allocate', 'devote', or 'figures'.

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 frequent grammatical errors that detract from the quality of the writing. Examples include 'spend there weekdays' (homophone error), 'spend more than half of their day in studying' (preposition error: 'studying' is better without 'in'), and 'the people spending time in sleeping is' (subject-verb agreement and awkward phrasing). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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