Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The bar graph shows the percentage of people holding full driving licences in Great Britain by age and sex in 2006 and 1976.

Overall, there has been significant increase in percentage of women holding full driving license from 1976 to 2006, whereas the percentage of men increased mainly for the elderly.

For all the age groups of the women, there was increase in percentage from 1976 to 2006, mainly evident in women between 50-60, which increased for 24% to 78%. This can also been in women between 40-50, which increased from 38% to 80%. Women over 70 also saw an increase from 4% to 30%.

While men over 70 saw an increase of more than 40%, similar to 15% increase in age group of 60-70. Whereas men between 30-40 saw no change in their percentage. For the remaining age groups they all saw increase of about 10% to 15%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s broad message: women’s licence-holding rose across every age group, while the largest gains for men were among older people. Several comparisons are relevant, including the rise among women over 70 and the increase for men aged 60–69. However, some figures and trends are inaccurate: women aged 50–59 rose from about 23% to 74%, not 24% to 78%, and men aged 30–39 increased from roughly 77% to 87%, rather than showing no change. The final generalisation about other men’s groups also misses the decline among 21–29-year-olds. The response is 134 words, below the 150-word minimum, and the overview and comparisons need fuller, more accurate development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs for women and men. This helps the reader follow the main categories. However, progression within the body paragraphs is uneven: the women’s paragraph selects three age groups without explaining the overall pattern, and the men’s paragraph ends with a broad statement that obscures the fall among younger adults. Some linking is awkward or incomplete, particularly the sentence beginning “Whereas men between 30-40…”, which is not joined to a main clause. Use clearer transitions to compare the two years and organise details from the largest changes to the exceptions. More consistent paragraph development would make the account easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary such as “percentage,” “age groups,” “increased” and “elderly,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited, with “increase” and “saw an increase” repeated, and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural. For example, “mainly evident in women between 50-60” is not a clear way to identify the strongest rise, while “similar to 15% increase” does not clearly distinguish a percentage-point change from a relative increase. Use accurate age-band labels and a wider set of comparison verbs, such as “rose,” “climbed,” “remained stable” and “declined.” Check spelling and standard forms, including “licence” in this British context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “whereas” and a time comparison using “from…to…”. However, errors recur and sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. Examples include “there has been significant increase,” which needs an article, and “This can also been in women,” where the verb construction is faulty. “For the remaining age groups they all saw increase” also has an awkward structure and missing article. The sentence beginning “Whereas men between 30-40 saw no change” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence. Aim for complete, well-formed sentences and check articles, verb forms and clause connections; these corrections would improve accuracy while preserving your attempts at varied structures.

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