Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07
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 displays data regarding various electrical appliances used in a country along with the time spent doing household work per week in a specific time period from 1920 to 2019.
Analyzing the first graph, it can be observed that all the three appliances had their peaks in different years. Washing machine displayed highest figures of 40 percentage of households that had it in 1920. While vacuum cleaner was in 30 percent households and data of households with refrigerator was negligible. In 1940, all the appliances showed comparable figures with 5 percent difference between them, making the percent 60, 55 and 50 for washing machine, refrigerator and vacuum cleaner respectively.
In the following years the trend for refrigerator and vacuum cleaner ran parallel, with 100 percent of households using them by the year 2019, while the data for washing machine took a dip in 1980 but with a slight increment after that made the final numbers to be 75 percent in the year 2019.
The following graph shows a plummeting trend of number of hours required to do household work per week in the same time period. The data peaked in 1920 with 50 percent which gradually decreased to 10 percent in the year 2019.
Overall, both the graphs show opposite trends. The first one depicting an overall increasing trend for the electrical appliances, while the second graph depicts a trend that declines gradually.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all key features of the charts, including the trends for appliances and the decline in housework hours. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you state the washing machine was at 40% in 1920, whereas the chart shows it closer to 0%. Additionally, you mention 50% for housework in 1920, but the axis indicates 50 hours. These misinterpretations of the data labels affect the accuracy of the summary. While the main trends are identified, the precision of the data reporting needs improvement to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each chart, and a summary overview. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two distinct data sets. Cohesive devices such as 'In the following years', 'While', and 'Overall' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing of the second graph could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'negligible', 'comparable', 'plummeting', and 'increment'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'made the final numbers to be' and 'displayed highest figures of 40 percentage', which sound slightly unnatural. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Focusing on more precise reporting verbs and noun phrases would enhance your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('The given line graphs displays') and incorrect preposition usage ('in 40 percentage'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'making the percent 60, 55 and 50'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.
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.