Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graphs below show the percentage of people holding full driving licences in Great Britain by age and sex.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Full car driving licence holders: by sex and age

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The graph shows a comparison between male and female of different age groups holding full car driving licences in the year 1975/76 and 2006.

We can observe that in 1975/76, the number of male licence holders were the most from the age group of 21 up to 69 however, the number of female licence holders were the most from the age group of 21 to 49 only. So, the dominance of male licence holders were much.

On the other hand, in 2006, the number of male licence holders were the most from the age group of 21 up to 70 and over whereas, the number of female licence holders were the most from the age group of 21 to 69 which is almost closer to the number of male licence holders.

Again, we can observe that in both 1975/76 and 2006, the number of male licence holders were the least from the age group of 17 - 21 and 70 and over however, the number of female licence holders in 1975/76 were the least from the age group of 17 - 20 and gradually decreased from the age group 50 - 59 but in 2006 the number was lowering from the age group 70 and over which is comparatively much better.

Therefore, we can conclude that with the course of time, the number of both male and female licence holders increased remarkbly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two years and both sexes, and your broad point that licence holding increased over time is supported by the chart. However, the response does not clearly summarise the main pattern in the percentages: men were generally higher, while women’s figures rose substantially and approached men’s in several middle-age groups by 2006. Some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. For example, saying men had the most holders from ages 21 to 69 overlooks that their 2006 peak was among 50–59-year-olds, and the claim that women’s figures “gradually decreased from” 50–59 in 1975/76 reverses the pattern across the younger groups. Select a few key figures and describe the age trends precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, comparisons of the two years, and a concluding statement. Time markers such as “On the other hand” and “Again” help signal shifts between points. However, the progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several long sentences combine multiple age groups and comparisons without clearly separating the ideas. The repeated “we can observe” and “number of … licence holders” also make the links feel mechanical. In particular, the paragraph beginning “Again” moves between men and women, two years, and both ends of the age range in one sentence. Organise the body around clear comparisons—overall change, then notable age-group patterns—and use more precise referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “licence holders,” “age group,” “dominance,” and “increased,” so the subject is generally clear. However, the range of language for describing chart data is limited, and several choices are imprecise or unnatural. “The dominance of male licence holders were much” does not express a clear comparison, while “the number was lowering” is an awkward way to describe a percentage pattern. “Remarkbly” is also misspelled, and “most” is repeatedly used where “highest proportion” would be more accurate. Build a small set of precise terms for describing percentages, peaks, declines, and gaps, and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, using clauses introduced by “however,” “whereas,” and “but.” This shows some range, and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, agreement errors recur: “the number … were” appears several times, although “number” is singular, and “the dominance … were” has the same problem. Some sentence structures are also difficult to control, especially the long sentence beginning “Again, we can observe,” where several clauses are joined without clear punctuation. The opening phrase “between male and female of different age groups” is grammatically incomplete. Aim for shorter, well-controlled comparisons, check subject–verb agreement, and use punctuation to separate contrasting points.

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