Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-13

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 given image illustrates percentage of people with full driving licence in Great Britain by female and male based on the age group, where it is evident male driver's licence holders are more in number compared to females.

In the bar graph of males, it can be observed that the people falling between age group of 50-59 have most driving licence than any other age group. Furthermore, it is followed by the individuals of 40-49 age and 60-69age group, as these 3 age groups were able to cross the 80% benchmark. On the other hand, only for individuals of age less than 29 have seen a decline in number of licence equiped compared to 1975 year.

In contrary, these numbers are significantly lower for females, as non of the age groups have crossed the threshold of 80%. However, there numbers have significantly increased in comparison of 1975 year, where the maximum driving licence owners were only 50% of total female population.

Therefore, it can be concluded that, for both sexes, an increment in number of licence owners can be observed, which is a kind of positive change, where a significant increase for female is more impactful, as they have reached the threshold of 80% in 2006 year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student provides an overview of the main features in the graphs, noting that male licence holders are more numerous and highlighting key age groups such as those aged 50-59. Comparisons between males and females are attempted, and some historical context regarding 1975 is referenced. However, the report contains several inaccurate details and generalizations. For instance, the claim that 'only for individuals of age less than 29 have seen a decline in number of licence equiped compared to 1975 year' misinterprets the data trends shown in typical British driving licence statistics over time. Furthermore, the final conclusion mentions females reaching a threshold of 80% in 2006, which is factually unaligned with typical data for this specific prompt. Consequently, while all parts of the prompt are addressed, the lack of precise data reporting and inclusion of inaccurate details pull this down to a Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical introduction, body paragraphs for males and females, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'In the bar graph of males', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand', which helps guide the reader through the text. However, referencing is sometimes unclear, and mechanical phrasing appears, such as 'In contrary' instead of 'In contrast'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the ideas, and there is a discernible overall progression from introduction to body details and conclusion. These characteristics align well with a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to discuss percentages, age groups, and trends, utilizing words such as 'percentage', 'benchmark', 'threshold', and 'increment'. However, there are noticeable lexical and spelling inaccuracies that detract from the overall quality, such as 'licence equiped', 'non of the age groups', and 'their numbers' used instead of 'the numbers'. Word choices are sometimes unnatural, such as 'an increment in number of licence owners can be observed'. While communication is generally maintained, these frequent slips limit the lexical score to a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and introductory dependent clauses, such as 'where it is evident male driver's licence holders are more in number'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, resulting in frequent errors that affect clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'non of the age groups have crossed' and prepositional errors such as 'in comparison of 1975 year'. Punctuation is also occasionally weak, leading to run-on structures. These patterns reflect the criteria for Band 5.0, where a limited range of structures is attempted and frequent errors persist.

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

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