Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-18

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 6.5)

The line graph illustrates the proportion of driving license holders by age and sex across various age groups in Great Britain in two time periods; 1975/76 and 2006.

Overall, the percentage of men were significantly higher compared to women in successfully getting car driving license in the given years. It is also notable that getting driving license in 1970s was much easier than in 2006. Additionally, middle-aged adults consistently recorded the highest license-holding rates in both years.

In 1975/76, men dominated driving license ownership across all age brackets. The highest proportion of men found in the 30-39 and 40-49 age groups, both reaching approximately 75%. In contrast, women had much lower rates, peaking at around 43% in 30-39 bracket, while only a negligible 5% of women aged 70 and over held a driving license.

By 2006, license holding rates of women increased dramatically across all age brackets, with the peak shifting to the 30-39 and 40-49 at roughly 80%. Meanwhile, male ownership also saw increases in most age groups, particularly among older-adults for instance, men aged 70 and over rose from under 40% in 1975/76 to over 70% in 2006. Consequently, the gap between male and female drivers narrowed significantly in the younger and middle-aged categories in 2006.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the data. An appropriate overview is provided, noting the gender disparities and the general upward trend in licence holding over time. Key data points are accurately cited, such as the figures for men aged 70 and over rising from under 40% to over 70% in 2006, and comparisons between men and women are drawn effectively across different age categories. The selection of data is relevant and well-supported by the figures provided in the chart, demonstrating a clear understanding of the visual information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, followed by an overview paragraph, and then breaks down the details chronologically by time period. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the 1975/76 data from the 2006 data. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'By 2006', and 'Meanwhile' are utilized effectively to guide the reader through the comparisons, although there is a minor mechanical feel to some of the transitions.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, incorporating appropriate phrases such as 'proportion of driving license holders', 'significantly higher', and 'narrowed significantly'. There are some less common lexical items attempted, such as 'dominated', 'negligible', and 'dramatically'. However, there are minor inaccuracies in word choice or phrasing, such as referring to the bar chart as a 'line graph' in the opening sentence, and a minor spelling error in 'license' (US spelling used inconsistently alongside British context, though acceptable).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with good control over overall sentence structure. Examples of complex structures include 'While the percentage of men were significantly higher...' and clauses introduced by participial phrases or time markers. Grammatical errors are relatively infrequent; however, there is a subject-verb agreement error ('the percentage of men were' instead of 'was') and a missing preposition in 'The highest proportion of men found in...' where 'were found' is required. These errors do not impede communication.

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