Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-24

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The charts below show the changes in ownership of electrical appliances and amount of time spent doing housework in households in one country between 1920 and 2019.

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

Percentage of households with electrical appliances (1920-2019)

Student answer (Band 9.0)

The charts illustrate the percentage of households that owned three electrical appliances (washing machine, refrigerator and vacuum cleaner) between 1920 and 2019, as well as the average number of hours spent on housework per week during the same period.

Overall, the ownership of all three appliances increased over time. Refrigerators and vacuum cleaners became almost universal by the end of the period, while the number of hours spent on housework decreased significantly.

In 1920, about 40% of households had a washing machine, compared with 30% for vacuum cleaners, while almost no homes owned a refrigerator. By 1940, washing machines had become the most common appliance at around 60%, whereas both refrigerators and vacuum cleaners were owned by approximately half of households. In 1960, refrigerator ownership rose sharply to about 90%, overtaking the other two appliances. It then reached 100% in 1980 and remained at this level until 2019. Vacuum cleaner ownership increased steadily from 30% in 1920 to 100% by 2000. In contrast, washing machine ownership grew more slowly, falling slightly to around 65% in 1980 before recovering to about 75% in 2019.

At the same time, the average time spent on housework fell continuously. Households spent around 50 hours per week on housework in 1920, which dropped to 35 hours in 1940 and 20 hours in 1960. This figure continued to decline to about 15 hours in 1980 and 2000, before reaching only 10 hours per week in 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response is excellent and fully addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the trends and effectively selected key features to illustrate the data. The comparisons between appliance ownership and the decline in housework hours are well-integrated. You accurately identified the main trends, such as the universal adoption of refrigerators and vacuum cleaners and the inverse relationship between appliance ownership and time spent on housework. The data is presented clearly, and the response is well-developed throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction, the overview, the appliance data, and the housework data. You have used cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In contrast', 'At the same time', and 'whereas', to link ideas and comparisons smoothly. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the report. The flow of information is natural and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 9.0

You have used a wide range of vocabulary with precision and natural control. Phrases like 'almost universal', 'rose sharply', 'overtaking the other two', and 'fell continuously' demonstrate a high level of lexical sophistication. The vocabulary is well-suited to the task of describing trends and data. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is both accurate and varied, which is appropriate for a high band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The response demonstrates a wide range of grammatical structures with high accuracy. You have successfully used complex sentences, such as 'Refrigerators and vacuum cleaners became almost universal by the end of the period, while the number of hours spent on housework decreased significantly.' Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no significant grammatical errors. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the control over tense and aspect is consistent with the requirements of describing historical data.

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