Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-23

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 5.0)

The bar graphs illustrate the proportion of men and women holding full driving licences in Great Britain by sex and age in 1975/76 and 2006.

Overall, women of age from 30-49 years recorded the highest percentage of licences holder, while 40-69 ages men had the more licences holders.

In 1975/76, the percentage of licence holder by men was around 38%, which is almost double of women at 20%. The figure increased by almost 20% in men, and 22% in women age of 21-29. From the age of 30-49 years men, accounted around 43%, while women represent 50% and 39% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the chart’s subject and gives an overview, noting that women’s figures are highest among adults aged 30–49 and men’s are higher in older age groups. However, the overview is incomplete, and several details are inaccurate or unclear: for example, the 1975/76 figures for men aged 17–20 and women aged 17–20 are about 36% and 20%, not a general comparison of 38% and 20%; the later reference to increases of “almost 20%” and “22%” is not clearly tied to a year or age group. The response also stops before reporting the 2006 pattern across most ages. It contains 92 words, below the required 150, which leaves the task substantially underdeveloped. Add a fuller overview and accurate comparisons across both years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with selected figures. This helps the reader identify the topic and the writer’s main comparison. However, the progression is limited because the final paragraph moves between age groups and years without a clear organising principle. Phrases such as “The figure increased by almost 20% in men, and 22% in women age of 21-29” do not make the comparison or reference sufficiently clear. The response also ends abruptly, without covering the remaining data. Grouping the figures by year or by age range, and using clear links such as “by contrast” and “in 2006,” would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer uses relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “holding full driving licences,” and “recorded,” so the topic is generally clear. There is some variation in how figures are described, but word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive. For instance, “licences holder” and “licences holders” are not natural forms, while “had the more licences holders” does not express the comparison clearly. “The figure increased by almost 20%” is also imprecise because it is unclear whether this means a percentage-point rise or a relative increase. Use accurate phrases such as “the proportion of licence holders” and “rose by around 20 percentage points,” and vary “percentage” with “share” or “proportion” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes both simple statements and attempts at more complex comparisons, such as “while 40-69 ages men had the more licences holders.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships difficult to understand. Examples include “women of age from 30-49 years,” “40-69 ages men,” and “women represent 50% and 39% respectively,” where the age ranges and verb forms are not expressed accurately. The sentence beginning “The figure increased” also lacks a clear grammatical reference for the figures being compared. Practise forming comparisons with clear subjects and parallel structures, for example, “Among people aged 30–49, the figures were approximately…” Check articles, plural forms, and subject–verb agreement when editing.

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

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