Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-11

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 graph illustrates the proportion of individuals having proper driving licenses in Great britain divided by age and gender at two distinct periods.

Overall, the most significant numbers of people with driving permits were men across both ages while the women followed by minimum percentages but in the last period 2006 there numbers were just below as of men.

According to men, 38% percent of people aged 17 to 20 had driving licences in both age categories. However, the figure rised and reached 78% in 1976/76 and 70% in 2006 it then leveled off the same at 90% in both periods. Consequently, 40 to 59 aged persons having licences were just 90% in 2006 and 75% and 80% in 1975/76. Lastly, among older age groups 90% with ages 60 to 69 had driving licences in 2006 and 59% in 1975/76.

While women had fewer licences compared to men, higher numbers were observed in 2006 with almost 80% of women having licences with age brackets 30 to 60 and just under 50% in the past. Women with ages 17 to 30 62% and 30% had licences in 2006 and 20% and 40% had licences in the past. Finally, older age categories were much lower having licences with 62% and 30% in 2006, while below 20% had driving licences in 1975/76.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s two years and compare men’s and women’s licence rates, and your overview correctly notes that men generally had higher figures while women’s rates rose by 2006. However, several key details are inaccurate or unclear. For example, men aged 17–20 were at about 36–37% in both years, not 38% across “both age categories”; the claim that figures then levelled off at 90% in both periods does not match the age groups. The statement that women aged 17–30 had 62% and 30% in 2006 also confuses the age bands and values. Select a few accurate comparisons and describe the overall pattern more precisely, especially the strong increases among older women.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for men and women. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and transitions such as “However,” “Consequently,” and “While” help signal comparisons. However, progression within the body paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because age groups and years are combined or shifted without clear reference. For instance, “it then leveled off the same at 90% in both periods” does not make clear which age group or figures are being compared. The repeated “Lastly” and “Finally” also make the sequencing feel formulaic. Organise each paragraph consistently by age group or by year, and use explicit references to the relevant sex, age band, and period.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “proportion,” “age brackets,” “driving licences,” and “periods,” so the subject is generally clear. There are also attempts to vary wording with “driving permits” and “licences.” However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “proper driving licenses,” “the most significant numbers,” and “followed by minimum percentages.” “Numbers” is also less suitable than “proportions” or “percentages” when describing this chart. Spelling and form are inconsistent, including “Great britain” and “licences/licenses.” Aim for precise, conventional chart language and use it consistently; for example, describe rates as “higher” or “lower” rather than referring to “numbers” of people.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including contrast clauses beginning “However” and “While,” and most of the main ideas can be understood. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, sentence construction, and punctuation are frequent enough to make some comparisons difficult to interpret. Examples include “the figure rised,” “there numbers,” and “it then leveled off the same,” as well as the unclear construction “According to men.” Several long sentences join multiple figures without clear grammatical links, particularly in the paragraph about women. Use shorter, controlled sentences when reporting data, check subject–verb agreement and past-tense forms, and ensure each pronoun clearly refers to a specific age group or figure.

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

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