Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-18

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The line graph below shows past and current overweight rates, as well as a projected future overweight rate in nine selected countries.

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

Past and projected future overweight rates in selected OECD countries

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The Line graph compares the percentage of people who were overweight in three different timelines i.e part, present and future in nine selected OECD countries. The timeline initiates from 1970 and ends till 2020.

Overall, USA records the highest figure of owerweight poeple at 75% approximately, followed by England at 70%. In contrast, Korea records least amount of higher body weight people at 35% only by 2020.

Initialy,in 1970, the overall rate of obesity was lower in almost every country, but increased gradually over 50 years of time. Austria and Italy, shows a very little change in the percentage, while Australia depicts a drastic incline from 1990 to 2020.

Spain and Canada in [redacted phone] had 40-50% of overweight people. This proportion increased a bit to about 55% in the following 20 years. France showed a very little increase till 1990 at almost 30%, but in next 2-3 years increased to 35% then dropped a bit then in the next decades shows a drastic increase and reached to 45% in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the line graph and making relevant comparisons across the nine selected OECD countries. You provided a clear overview identifying the highest and lowest countries, such as the USA, England, and Korea, and selected appropriate data points across the timeline. While some minor figures are approximated, such as noting the USA at approximately 75% by 2020 (actual is around 74%), this is well within acceptable margins. The main trends—such as the gradual rise in overweight rates and the drastic incline in countries like Australia and France—are correctly reported and supported by figures from the chart. Overall, the task is addressed well, fulfilling the criteria for Band 6.5 to 7.0, and is placed firmly at Band 6.5 due to slight generalisations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is arranged coherently with a logical overall progression, moving from an introductory statement and general overview into specific body paragraphs detailing country trends. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, overview, and specific data details. However, cohesion sometimes feels slightly mechanical or abrupt, particularly in transitions like 'Initialy,in 1970' and the abrupt shift between countries in the final paragraph. Reference words and cohesive devices are generally manageable, but referencing can occasionally be unclear. To achieve a higher band, ensure smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs, and avoid choppy, isolated statements when grouping related country data together.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to successfully convey trends with words like 'gradual', 'drastic incline', and 'proportion'. However, there are a number of spelling and word-choice errors that detract from precision, including 'owerweight' (overweight), 'poeple' (people), 'least amount of higher body weight people' (lowest proportion of overweight individuals), 'Initialy' (Initially), and 'shows' instead of past-tense verbs where appropriate. Less common lexical items are attempted, but minor inaccuracies in spelling and collocation prevent this criterion from reaching a higher band. Focusing on careful proofreading for common spelling slips will greatly improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The Line graph compares the percentage of people who were overweight...' and 'While some minor figures are approximated...'. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including comma splices, missing commas after introductory phrases ('Initialy,in 1970'), and verb tense inconsistencies (e.g., mixing past trends with present tense verbs like 'shows' instead of 'showed'). While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to keep the writing at Band 6.0. Paying closer attention to past-tense consistency when discussing historical chart data will enhance grammatical control.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.