Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-11

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 bar graph illustrates the proportion of individuals r having accurate driving licences in Great Britain by age group and gender.

Overall, the proportion of both men and women holding driving licences increased considerably between 1975/76 and 2006, with the largest increases generally occurring among women.

Firstly, In 2006, around 90% of men aged 50–59 held driving licences, making this the highest figure among male age groups; However, the 70-and-over age group had the lowest proportion who holds licences (with 27%). Age group of 30-39 remained almost similar form 1975 to 2006. Men with 70 and above was 37% in 1975/76, which more than doubled in 2006.

This is a major error because you're treating 79% and 5% as if they are the overall percentages for women. They refer to particular age groups. Women of age group of 70 and over increased to around 30% in 2006, Followed by age group 60-69 increased with around 67%, Followed by age group of 50-59 increased with about 73%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to adequately address the task. While it identifies some trends, the analysis is fragmented and includes a meta-commentary paragraph ('This is a major error because...') that does not belong in an academic report. The data selection is inconsistent; some figures are mentioned, but the comparison between the two years (1975/76 and 2006) is not fully developed. The inclusion of personal notes to the examiner instead of completing the summary significantly detracts from the task completion. To improve, you must present a clear, objective summary of the data without self-correction or conversational asides.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a logical flow. The paragraphing is disrupted by the inclusion of a meta-commentary paragraph, which breaks the coherence of the report. While there are some attempts at cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'However', the transition between ideas is often mechanical or confusing. The structure is not sufficiently academic, and the progression of information is hindered by the disorganized presentation of the data. Better use of linking words and a more structured approach to grouping the data by age or gender would improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is limited and somewhat repetitive. Phrases like 'proportion of individuals' and 'age group' are used frequently. There are also inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'accurate driving licences' (instead of 'full driving licences') and 'remained almost similar form' (instead of 'remained similar from'). While the meaning is generally clear, the vocabulary lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. You should aim to use more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'proportion' to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'lowest proportion who holds licences' (should be 'hold'), 'Men with 70 and above' (should be 'Men aged 70 and over'), and 'increased with around 67%' (should be 'increased to around 67%'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with incorrect semicolon usage and capitalization errors. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage to improve accuracy.

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

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