Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12
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 rendered line graphs depict information about the transformation in purchased of electrical gadgets and amount of time spent doing household chores in one country from 1920 to 2019.
Overall, the proportion of households with electrical appliances showed an upward trend, whereas number of hours of household chores per week showed downward trend.
In detail, refrigerator owned by 2 percent. It increased purchases by 50 percent in 1940 again rose in 90 and 100 percent in 1960 and 1980. Interestingly, refrigerator ownership was exact same in 2000 and 2019 with 100 ratio. However, in first year washing machine owners was 40 percent which inclined by upcoming two years. Then, in 1980 it was fell with 8 percent. After that, it reached to 65% in 2019.
In terms of vacuum cleaner, 30 percent vacuum purchased in first year which starts went up from 1940 to 2019,while number of hours spent by this appliances in 1920, 50 hours spent which decreased in 1940 and 1960 with 35 and 20 hours. In 1980 to 2019 exact same number to hours spent in housework.
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 the main features of the charts, identifying the upward trend in appliance ownership and the downward trend in housework hours. However, the reporting of data is often inaccurate or confusing. For example, stating that the refrigerator ownership 'increased purchases by 50 percent' is unclear, and the description of the washing machine trend is factually inconsistent with the provided data. The comparison between appliance ownership and housework hours is attempted but lacks precision. To improve, ensure that data points are cited accurately and that the relationship between the two variables is clearly explained rather than just listed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'In detail' and 'In terms of'. The progression of ideas within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the final paragraph where the transition between vacuum cleaner ownership and housework hours is abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow the logic of the comparisons. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would significantly enhance the flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'transformation in purchased of electrical gadgets' and '100 ratio'. The use of 'inclined' is incorrect in this context, as it does not accurately describe the trend shown in the graph. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary, the lack of control over collocations and word forms limits the effectiveness of the communication. More attention should be paid to standard academic collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include missing articles ('refrigerator owned by 2 percent'), incorrect verb tenses, and awkward sentence construction ('30 percent vacuum purchased in first year which starts went up'). Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence structure and proofreading for basic errors would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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