Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-27

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 compare changes in the proportion of households owning three electrical appliances and in the average weekly amount of time spent on housework in one country between 1920 and 2019.

Overall, the ownership of all appliances rose substantially over the period. Refrigerators and vacuum cleaners became universal by 2000, whereas washing machines increased more gradually and experienced a slight decline at one point. At the same time, the weekly time devoted to housework fell dramatically.

In 1920, washing machines were the most widely owned appliance, with 40% of households possessing one. This figure was followed by vacuum cleaners at 30%, while refrigerators were not owned by any households. By 1940, ownership of washing machines had climbed to 60%, and the figures for refrigerators and vacuum cleaners had risen to approximately 55% and 50% respectively.

Refrigerators then saw the sharpest growth, reaching 90% in 1960 and 100% in 1980, where the figure remained for the rest of the period. Vacuum cleaner ownership also increased steadily, from 70% in 1960 to 100% in 2000. Although the proportion of homes with washing machines rose to 70% in 1960, it fell slightly to around 65% in 1980 before recovering to 75% by 2019.

Meanwhile, the average number of hours of housework per household dropped from 50 per week in 1920 to just 10 hours in 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response is excellent. It covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends in appliance ownership and the inverse relationship with housework time. The overview is clear and highlights the key features effectively. Data is selected and reported accurately, with relevant comparisons made between the different appliances and the time spent on housework. The information is well-supported by the provided figures, and the response maintains a clear focus throughout, meeting all requirements for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, a concise overview, and well-structured body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving chronologically through the data. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'at the same time', 'although', and 'meanwhile' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the trends in appliances from the trends in housework time, making the information easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

The vocabulary is precise and varied, demonstrating a good range of academic language. Phrases such as 'proportion of households', 'became universal', 'devoted to housework', and 'sharpest growth' are used naturally and accurately. The student avoids repetition and uses collocations effectively, such as 'climbed to' and 'fell dramatically'. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or spelling, and the language is well-suited to the task of describing statistical trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The response displays a wide range of grammatical structures with high accuracy. Complex sentences are used frequently and correctly, such as the use of subordinate clauses in 'Although the proportion of homes with washing machines rose to 70% in 1960, it fell slightly...'. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no significant grammatical errors. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent, contributing to the overall clarity and professional tone of the report.

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