Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-08

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The bar chart below shows the average number of hours that women in various age groups and women with varying levels of education spend on primary activities each week.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Average hours per week women spent in selected primary activities, by age and educational attainment, 2009

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given horizontal bar graph depicts information about the average number of hours that women in various age groups and women with varying levels of education spend on primary activities each week. The data has been calibrated into percentage.

Overall, it is crystal clear that the average hours per week women spent in selected primary activities was highest in age group of 75 and over however the lowest ratio was in 15 to 19 aged people.

At a fleeting glance, in age group 15 to 19 around 6.9% were in working and work related activities while the ratio gradually increases to 36.8% in leisure and sport only 6% was in household activities. In age group 20 to 24, the ratio in household activities was around 10 percent. Surprisingly, the percentile in all three primary activities were incline in 25 to 34 age group. Whereas, in 55 to 64 aged the ratio was 365 in leisure and sports which followed by 44 percent in 65 to 74 aged masses. However, only 1.3% was working and work related activities in 75 and over.

Moving further, in less than a high school diploma 20% women were engaged in housing activities which substantially go down to 15.5% in high school graduates. Moreover, in some college or associate degree the ratio was highest in leisure and sports while in bachelor degree and higher which remain similar in both working and work related activities and leisure sports which was 28 approximately.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the data, but it fails to accurately interpret the chart. The prompt asks for 'average number of hours', yet the student repeatedly refers to the data as 'percentage' or 'ratio', which is a fundamental misunderstanding of the task. Furthermore, the data points cited are often confusing or incorrect, such as the mention of '365' for an age group, which is impossible in this context. While the main features are identified, the lack of accuracy in reporting the figures significantly hinders the task achievement. To improve, ensure you carefully read the axis labels and units provided in the graph before writing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused. For example, 'At a fleeting glance' is an unnatural way to introduce a paragraph, and 'Moving further' is used somewhat awkwardly. The progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed, particularly when jumping between age groups and educational levels without clear transitions. While there is an overall attempt at a logical flow, the lack of precision in referencing the data makes the progression feel somewhat forced and confusing at times.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary range is adequate for the task, but there are frequent errors in word choice and collocation. Phrases like 'calibrated into percentage' and 'aged masses' are unnatural and imprecise. The student struggles with terminology related to data description, often confusing 'ratio' and 'percentile' with 'hours'. While the student attempts to use some descriptive language, the inaccuracies in word choice occasionally impede the clarity of the report. To reach a higher band, focus on using precise terminology for data reporting, such as 'figures', 'data points', or 'average hours'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'the percentile... were incline') and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'which followed by 44 percent'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction is often clunky. While the meaning is usually discernible, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence structure prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic verb forms and ensuring sentence clarity would be beneficial.

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

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