Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-20

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 chart compare the percentages of men and women in different age groups who held full car driving licenses in a great britain in 1975/76 and 2006.

Over all the license holder increased considerably between the two period of sexes. Men consistently had highest rates then women, although the gap became much smaller among most younger and middle aged group in 2006. The highest figure were generally recorded among youngest and oldest group.

n 1975/76, approximately 80% of men aged 40–49 and 30–39 held driving licenses, compared with about 70% of those aged 50–59. The figures were lower for men aged 21–29 and 60–69, at around 60% and 50% respectively. Only about 30% of men aged 70 and over had a license. By 2006, male ownership had risen to around 90% among those aged 30–59, while the figures for 21–29 and 60–69 reached roughly 80%. The proportion among men aged 70 and over also increased substantially, to about 60%.

Women showed an even more pronounced increase. In 1975/76, only around 5% of women aged 70 and over and 20% of those aged 60–69 held licenses. The figure rose to approximately 30–40% among women aged 21–59. By 2006, license ownership among women aged 30–59 had reached about 80%, while around 70% of those aged 21–29 and 60% of those aged 60–69 were license holders. Among women aged 70 and over, the figure climbed to approximately 40%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview of the main features of the data presented in the bar chart, outlining the percentage of driving license holders among different age groups and by sex. However, it lacks significant detail about the figures from both years, leading to some missed opportunities for comprehensive comparison. For instance, the statement "the highest figure were generally recorded among youngest and oldest group" is vague and could benefit from specific percentages to illustrate this point clearly. Overall, while the key trends are identified, more depth in data presentation could improve task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

Coherence and cohesion in the response are generally well-established, with a logical progression of ideas. The structure is clear, as it separates the discussion between men and women, allowing for effective comparisons. However, the clarity suffers from some awkward phrasing, such as 'Over all the license holder increased considerably between the two period of sexes,' which would be clearer if rephrased. More effective use of paragraphs could enhance readability, particularly in separating the discussion of 1975/76 and 2006.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The lexical resource is appropriate for an academic task, with some good vocabulary, but there are instances of less suitable word choices and errors in word forms. For example, phrases like "in a great britain" should be replaced with "in Great Britain". Additionally, the use of "the gap became much smaller among most younger and middle aged group" could be refined to "the gap narrowed among younger and middle-aged groups". Better precision in language would boost the overall quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

Grammatical range and accuracy are acceptable but contain quite a few noticeable errors that impact clarity. For instance, the phrase "the highest figure were generally recorded" should be corrected to "the highest figures were generally recorded," and "in a great britain" needs to be "in Great Britain". Despite these issues, the overall grasp of complex sentences is evident, indicating adequate grammatical understanding. Attention to subject-verb agreement and proper article usage will enhance this area significantly.

Overall feedback

You have provided a solid overview of the data in the graphs regarding driving license holders in Great Britain. Your ability to present key trends is commendable, but enhancing your response with specific data points will strengthen your analysis. I'd recommend ensuring proper grammatical accuracy, especially with subject-verb agreements and clearer phrasing to aid comprehension. Improving your vocabulary choices could also elevate the quality of your writing. Consider structuring your response in smaller paragraphs to enhance clarity and flow.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.