Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · 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 8.5)

The provided line charts compare the percentage of households utilizing three different electrical appliances - washing machines, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners - with the average number of hours spent on housework per week per household between 1920 and 2019.

Overall, there was a clear inverse relationship between the two metrics: as the adoption of household appliances increased over the century, the amount of time dedicated to domestic chores steadily declined. Additionally, while refrigerator and vacuum cleaner ownership eventually reached total market saturation (100%), washing machine ownership experienced minor fluctuations and remained the lowest of the three by the end of the period.

Looking at the appliances, refrigerator ownership experienced the most dramatic growth. Starting at zero in 1920, it surged to 100% by 1980 and remained ubiquitous for the remainder of the period. Similarly, the presence of vacuum cleaners grew steadily from 30% in 1920, eventually plateauing at a peak of 100% in 2000. In contrast, washing machines were the most common appliance initially, owned by 40% of households in 1920. However, after reaching 70% in 1960, their usage saw a slight dip to 65% in 1980 before recovering to roughly 75% by 2019, making them the least utilized of the three tools by the end of the timeframe.

Turning to the impact on domestic labor, the rise in appliance ownership coincided with a significant reduction in weekly housework. In 1920, households spent a substantial 50 hours per week on chores. This figure plummeted over the next forty years, dropping to 20 hours by 1960 - the exact period when appliance adoption was rising most rapidly. From 1960 onwards, the decline continued at a more gradual pace, ultimately reaching just over 10 hours per week in 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified all key features, including the inverse relationship between appliance ownership and housework hours. The data is accurately reported, and you have made effective comparisons between the three appliances and the time spent on chores. The overview is clear and highlights the main trends effectively. You have covered all parts of the task well, providing a logical and well-developed summary that meets all requirements for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction, the overall trend, the appliance data, and the housework data. You have used a variety of cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'In contrast', and 'Turning to', which help the reader follow the argument smoothly. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate different aspects of the data, and the information flows naturally from one point to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You demonstrate a wide and sophisticated range of vocabulary. Phrases like 'total market saturation', 'remained ubiquitous', and 'coincided with a significant reduction' show a high level of lexical control. The word choices are precise and appropriate for an academic report. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is both fluent and flexible, allowing for a clear and professional presentation of the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The grammar is highly accurate throughout the response. You have used a wide range of complex sentence structures, such as 'while refrigerator and vacuum cleaner ownership eventually reached total market saturation', and 'the exact period when appliance adoption was rising most rapidly'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is used correctly to enhance clarity. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication, and the control over tense and structure is consistent.

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