Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-08

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 depicts the number of driving licences being held by different individuals in terms of age and sex in the percentage format in Great Britain over certain period of time. Overall, It is readily apparent that in comparison to women, there are high percentages of men who held driving licence in the year 1975/76 and 2006 respectively.

Moreover, while the ratio of women having access to driving licences has shown gradual rise in the age group of 21 to 69 years of age, simultaneously the portion of men holding driving licences is higher in the age range of 21 to 70 and over.

Comparing the percentage holding data in the category of years, it is noticeable that the number of people including men and women possessing driving licences is usually more in the year 2006 than 1975/76.

In conclusion, it can be regarded as women in the age group of 40-

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the broad comparison that men had higher licence-holding percentages than women and notes that figures were generally higher in 2006. However, the account is incomplete and some trends are inaccurate or too vague. For example, women’s figures did not rise steadily across ages 21–69: in 2006 they peaked among 30–49-year-olds and were lower for both 21–29 and 60–69. The claim that men’s percentages were higher across ages 21 to 70 and over also overlooks the 2006 figures for younger men, where the 17–20 group was below women. Most importantly, the response ends with an unfinished point about women aged 40–, so there is no developed summary of key age patterns or notable exceptions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: the opening introduces the chart, followed by broad comparisons and a concluding paragraph. Linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “Comparing” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is limited because the paragraphs repeat general claims rather than developing a clear overview and then comparing selected age groups. The final sentence, “In conclusion, it can be regarded as women in the age group of 40-”, is incomplete and leaves the ending without a clear point. Some references are also imprecise, such as “the category of years,” which makes it difficult to tell whether the comparison concerns age groups or the two dates. Grouping the main trends into a complete overview and focused comparisons would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the chart, including “percentage,” “gradual rise,” “ratio,” and “possessing.” It also attempts more formal phrasing, such as “It is readily apparent.” However, several choices are awkward or imprecise for statistical reporting: “number” is used for percentages, “access to driving licences” does not accurately describe licence ownership, and “percentage holding data” is unnatural. Repetition of “driving licences” and “holding” also limits flexibility. More precise chart language, such as “proportion of licence holders,” “rose,” and “was higher,” would make comparisons clearer and more natural. The meaning is generally recoverable despite these word-choice and collocation issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mixture of sentence forms, including a complex contrast beginning “while the ratio of women…” and a comparison introduced by “Comparing…”. Most sentences communicate their general meaning, but some grammatical problems reduce clarity. In “there are high percentages of men who held,” the present-tense “are” conflicts with the past-time reference; “there were higher percentages” would be consistent. The construction “it can be regarded as women…” is incomplete and ungrammatical, and the final age range is left unfinished. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “Overall, It”. Aim to keep tense consistent when describing the two years and check that each sentence has a complete main clause and a finished comparison.

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

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