Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-17

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 7.0)

The bar charts show the percentage of people in Great Britain who had a full driving licence in 1975/76 and 2006. The figures are divided into different age groups and genders.

Overall, the percentage of people with driving licences was higher in 2006 than in 1975/76. Men had a higher percentage than women in most age groups. Also, people between 30 and 69 years old had the highest percentages in both years.

In 2006, about 38% of men aged 17–20 had a full driving licence. This figure increased to around 66% for men aged 21–29. It then rose to about 80% or more among men aged 30–69. The highest figure was approximately 90% for men aged 50–59. However, it decreased to around 76% among men aged 70 and over.

In 1975/76, the figures for men were generally lower. Around 35% of men aged 17–20 had a licence, while the figure for men aged 40–49 was about 82%.

For women, the percentage was much lower in 1975/76. Only around 20% of women aged 17–20 had a licence, while about 50% of women aged 30–39 did. By 2006, the figures had increased significantly, reaching about 80% among women aged 40–49.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the data well, providing a clear overview and supporting details for both years and genders. You successfully identified the general trend of higher licence ownership in 2006 compared to 1975/76 and noted the age-related peaks. However, the report could be improved by making more direct comparisons between the two years rather than treating them as separate blocks of information. For instance, you could have explicitly contrasted the narrowing gap between male and female drivers over the three decades. While the key features are present, a more integrated approach to comparing the two time periods would elevate the response to a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by gender and time period. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In addition', and 'while', which help to link sentences effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the data. To improve further, ensure that the transition between paragraphs is even smoother by using more sophisticated linking phrases that highlight the relationship between the data points rather than just listing them.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'reached about 80%' and 'increased significantly' are accurate and appropriate for a report of this nature. You avoid repetition by using synonyms for 'percentage' and 'figure'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations or less common lexical items. For example, instead of saying 'the figures were generally lower', you could use 'the proportions were notably more modest' or 'a marked disparity existed'. Overall, your vocabulary is functional and precise enough for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'while the figure for men aged 40–49 was about 82%'. The grammar is generally accurate, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. Punctuation is handled correctly throughout. To achieve a higher score, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex structures, such as using participle clauses or passive voice to report the data more formally (e.g., 'When comparing the two periods, a significant rise in female licence holders is observed').

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