Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-04
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 5.5)
The given line graphs illustrate the information about the percentage of households with electrical appliances and the number of hours of housework per week and per household from 1920 to 2019.
Overall, it is clear that the use of vacuum cleaners increased significantly over the periods, while the proportion of households with washing machines fluctuated slightly throughout the period. In addition, the number of hours of housework per household per week fell noticeably.
In 1920, approximately 0% of households owned a refrigerator, whereas in 1940 it accounted for 55 percent. Moreover, the percentage of households with refrigerators increased from 90% in 1960 to 100% in 2000. The use of vacuum cleaners soared rapidly over the period. It rose from 30% in 1920 to 70% in 1960. After that, the use of vacuum cleaners grew from 90% in 1980 to 100% in 2019. Furthermore, the use of washing machines fluctuated marginally over the periods. It increased from 40% in 1920 to 70% in 1960. In 1980, it declined to around 65% percent. In 2019 it reached approximately 74%.
The number of hours of housework per household per week in 1920 stood at 50 hours. After 20 years, it dropped to around 35 hours. Over the years, the number of hours dropped considerably from 19 hours in 1960
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts, identifying key trends in appliance ownership and the decline in housework hours. However, the report is incomplete; the final paragraph ends abruptly mid-sentence ('from 19 hours in 1960'), failing to provide a conclusion or complete the data description for the final years. While the overview is clear, the lack of a finished summary and the omission of data points for the final decades significantly impact the task completion. To improve, ensure all data trends are fully described and the response reaches a logical conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas from the overview to the specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' are used to link sentences. However, the abrupt ending of the final paragraph disrupts the overall coherence of the piece. The referencing is generally clear, but the mechanical nature of the transitions could be improved by using a wider variety of linking phrases to create a more natural flow between the data sets.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some effective use of reporting verbs and adverbs such as 'increased significantly', 'soared rapidly', and 'fluctuated marginally'. There is some repetition of phrases like 'percentage of households with' and 'the use of'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and avoid repeating the same sentence structures. The word choice is generally accurate and does not impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some minor errors, such as '65% percent' (redundancy) and the incomplete final sentence. Most sentences are clear, and the grammar does not hinder understanding. To improve, focus on ensuring that all sentences are complete and grammatically sound. Incorporating more complex structures, such as relative clauses or participle phrases, would help demonstrate a wider range of grammatical control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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