Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-10

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 illustrates the present, past and future overweight rates in nine OECD countries between 1970 and 2020.

Overall, the USA showed slight decline before increasing considerably towards end of the period, while, England, France, Spain, Austria, and Australia showed significant growth between the year 1980 and 1990. By contrast, Canada, Italy and Korea begin to growth after the year 1990.

The USA overweight was approximately 45% before 1980, after the 1980's showed significant growth at around 75% towards end of the period, while the England begin to grow after 1990's from around 48% to around 70% at the end of the period. Meanwhile, Spain, Austria and France showed slight growth in overweight rates over the period, while the Australia projected growth showed at around 28% in 1990 to around 65% in 2020.

Whereas, Canada showed decline trend until 2000, then showed an increased trend around 65% at the end of the period. Similarly, Korea overweight rated remained stable until 2010, then increased slightly around 35% at the end of the period, while Italy number vary over period from stable to slight increased and again stability towards end of period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad pattern of rising overweight rates and include an overview, with useful attention to the USA and several other countries. However, some key comparisons and figures are inaccurate or unclear. The USA fell slightly before rising, but its projected endpoint is about 74%, not 75%; Australia began at roughly 34% in 1990, not 28%. Canada’s rate fluctuated around 48–50% early on and then rose to about 55%, rather than reaching 65%. The overview also incorrectly groups England, France, Spain, Austria and Australia as growing between 1980 and 1990, although several have no data for that interval. Select the main contrasts more carefully and support them with accurate approximate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. Grouping countries together gives the reader some sense of comparison, and linking expressions such as “By contrast,” “Meanwhile” and “Similarly” help connect points. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the overview groups countries by a time period that does not fit all their data, and the later paragraphs move between countries without a clear organising principle. “Whereas” begins a fragment-like transition, while repeated use of “while” makes relationships between trends harder to follow. Organise the details into clear groups, such as the highest-rising countries and those with lower rates, and use linking words only when the relationship is accurate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a graph, including “decline,” “increasing,” “growth,” “stable” and “projected,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word combinations or forms are unnatural, such as “showed slight decline,” “begin to growth,” “showed decline trend” and “overweight rated.” These choices sometimes make the intended meaning less precise. There is also repetition of “showed” and “growth” across the response. Build a more flexible set of accurate trend expressions, and check whether a noun, verb or adjective is needed in each phrase. For example, describe a rate as “rose,” “remained stable” or “experienced a slight decline.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt longer sentences with contrast and time clauses, but control is inconsistent, and errors occur often enough to affect clarity. Examples include “the USA showed slight decline before increasing considerably towards end,” which needs articles, and “the Canada showed decline trend until 2000,” which has problems with article use and sentence structure. Verb forms are also faulty in “Canada, Italy and Korea begin to growth” and “Italy number vary.” Some sentences join several trends with “while” or “whereas” without a complete, well-controlled structure. Practise accurate past-tense reporting, subject–verb agreement and article use, then build complex sentences from shorter, correct clauses. This will make your comparisons easier to follow.

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