Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-31

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 the typical weekdays of students of three different countries. Actually, it is a comparison between three different countries e.g. UK, Japan and Germany.

The bar chart shows the sleeping, studying and relaxing time of students of three different countries. In Japan, there are 13 weekdays which is higher than other two countries and also Japan has 4 relaxing weekdays which is lower than other two countries.

In UK, the sleeping time of students is 8.5 weekdays, studying time of students is 8 weekdays and relaxing time is low which is 7 weekdays. In Japan, the sleeping time is 7 weekdays, relaxing time is 4 weekdays and studying time is higher than other two countries which is 13 weekdays. In Germany, sleeping time is 8 weekdays, studying time is 9 weekdays and relaxing time is 7 weekdays.

So, in comparison, Japan has the highest study time and lowest relaxing time than other two countries.In UK and Germany, the weekdays are slightly different, the sleeping, relaxing and studying time are comparatively same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the bar chart, including the three categories (sleeping, studying, and relaxing) and the three countries. However, the data interpretation is significantly flawed. You consistently refer to the data points as 'weekdays' (e.g., '13 weekdays'), which is a misinterpretation of the chart's units (hours). This error leads to a failure to accurately report the information provided. While you do attempt to make comparisons, the fundamental misunderstanding of the data labels prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure you carefully read the axes and labels of any visual data before writing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and repetitive, often relying on simple sentence structures to link ideas. For example, the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. To improve, use a wider range of linking words and phrases to connect sentences and ideas more fluidly, such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', or 'Conversely', rather than repeating 'In [country]' at the start of every sentence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'higher', 'lower', and 'different'. The misuse of the term 'weekdays' instead of 'hours' is a significant lexical error that impacts the clarity of the report. There is little evidence of less common vocabulary or an awareness of collocation. To improve, try to incorporate more descriptive language related to data trends, such as 'the highest proportion', 'a significant disparity', or 'remains consistent'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For instance, 'the sleeping, relaxing and studying time are comparatively same' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'are comparatively similar'. Additionally, there are issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring that your comparisons are grammatically sound before attempting more complex structures.

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

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