Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11
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 chart illustrates the alterations in the ownership of electric appliances and proportion of time spent in doing the household chores between 1920 and 2019.
Overall, Refrigerator saw a dramatic increase because, while the other appliances including Washing machine and Vacuum cleaner fluctuated slightly. The numbers of hours spent each week in each household gradually decreases with the time period.
In 1920, Refrigerator was at 0% , Vacuum cleaners were also accounts to 30% followed by Washing machine which was 40%. By the time passes in 2019, the proportion of these appliances increases Refrigerator rose sharply to 100% , whereas Vacuums and machines also saw a significant demand which is 70% to 20%.
The second chart shows the number of hours spent in doing household chores including Washing clothes, Preparing meals, Cleaning decreases with the passage of time. The working hours reduced slightly, in 1920 the hours were extended to 50 per house, similarly they dropped to 30 hours in 1960 and reaches to 0 in 2019.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the charts, but there are significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, stating that the hours spent on housework reached '0' in 2019 is a misinterpretation of the trend, as the chart shows a decline but not a total cessation. Additionally, the description of the appliance data is confusing; the text mentions '70% to 20%' for vacuums and machines, which does not accurately reflect the provided visual information. While the overview identifies the general trends, the lack of precision in data reporting prevents a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused. For example, the transition 'By the time passes in 2019' is unnatural, and the connection between sentences in the second paragraph is weak. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making the progression of ideas feel disjointed. While there is an overall attempt at logical arrangement, the lack of smooth transitions and occasional awkward phrasing limits the flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'accounts to 30%' and 'significant demand which is 70% to 20%'. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic descriptors like 'dramatic increase' and 'fluctuated slightly'. To improve, you should focus on using more precise terminology for describing trends and data points, and ensure that your word choices are grammatically appropriate for the context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Refrigerator saw', 'Vacuum cleaners were also accounts'), incorrect tense usage ('By the time passes'), and awkward phrasing ('the hours were extended to 50 per house'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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