Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-09

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 two line graph illustrate the change in ownership of electronic appliances and amount of time spent on domestic task in a particular country from 1920 to 2019.

Overall it is evident that the proportion of all electrical appliances increased over the period, by contrast the average number of hours spent on housework fell continually throughout the period.

Looking at the deep details, the percentage of washing machine in initial year at around 40%, compared with 30% of vacuum cleaner, whereas refrigerator were not virtually present at that year. In 1940 washing machine increased to reach at approximately 60%, refrigerator was sharply developed of washing machine at around 55%, while 50% of vacuum cleaner than refrigerator had became almost universal in 1980 and remained steadily by the end of the period. Similarly vacuum cleaner usage steadily and became universal by 2000 and dwell by even 2019. In contrast, the figure for washing machine grew marginally from 60% in 1940 to 70%, then declined modestly in 1980 around 65%, then rose steadily to reach around 75% in 2019.

The number of hours spent on domestic work decreased dramatically from 50 in 1920 to 35 hours in 1946, then gradually it dipped steadily to reach at 10 hours per week by the end of the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends in appliance ownership and housework hours. You successfully highlighted the inverse relationship between the two datasets. However, the description of the data is occasionally confusing. For example, the sentence 'refrigerator was sharply developed of washing machine' is unclear and inaccurate in its description of the trends. While you selected key features, the lack of precision in reporting the data points (e.g., 'dwell by even 2019') makes it difficult for the reader to follow the specific changes over time. To improve, ensure that comparisons are logically structured and that the data points cited are clearly linked to the correct years and categories.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on the two distinct datasets. You use some cohesive devices such as 'by contrast', 'similarly', and 'in contrast' to link ideas. However, the flow within the third paragraph is disjointed. The transition between the different appliances is mechanical, and the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'while 50% of vacuum cleaner than refrigerator had became almost universal'. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'continually', 'marginally', and 'universal'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'deep details' instead of 'greater detail', 'sharply developed of', and 'dwell by even 2019'. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of the information being presented. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that your vocabulary is used in a natural, contextually appropriate manner rather than relying on direct translations or slightly misused phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the two line graph illustrate') and incorrect preposition usage ('reach at approximately 60%'). Additionally, some sentences are structurally incomplete or confusing, such as 'refrigerator was sharply developed of washing machine at around 55%'. While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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