Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-17

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 6.5)

The charts illustrate changes in the ownership of household appliances and the amount of time spent on housework in one country between 1920 and 2019.

Overall, ownership of all three appliances increased, while the time spent on housework fell significantly. Refrigerators and vacuum cleaners eventually became almost universal, whereas washing machine ownership increased more gradually.

In 1920, washing machines were found in 40% of households, compared with 30% for vacuum cleaners. Almost no households owned a refrigerator. By 1960, refrigerator ownership had risen sharply to 90%, while both washing machines and vacuum cleaners reached about 70%. Refrigerator ownership then reached 100% in 1980 and remained there. Vacuum cleaner ownership also rose to 100% by 2000. Washing machines fluctuated slightly but ended at approximately 75% in 2019.

Meanwhile, weekly housework declined steadily from 50 hours in 1920 to 10 hours in 2019, with the largest reductions occurring before 1980.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts well, providing a clear overview and supporting details. However, the response is 148 words long, failing to meet the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length penalty prevents a higher score. While the key trends—such as the rise in appliance ownership and the decline in housework hours—are accurately identified and compared, the brevity limits the depth of the analysis. To improve, ensure you expand on the data points or provide more detailed comparisons between the categories to comfortably exceed the word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information effectively. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from general trends to specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'meanwhile', and 'compared with' are used appropriately to link information. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. The structure is clear and easy to follow throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for some precision. You use appropriate terms such as 'universal', 'fluctuated', and 'declined steadily'. The range is adequate to convey the information clearly without repetition. While there are no major errors in word choice, the vocabulary is functional rather than sophisticated. To reach a higher band, consider incorporating more varied collocations or precise descriptors for the trends observed, such as 'plateaued' or 'witnessed a significant surge'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You successfully use a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'Refrigerators and vacuum cleaners eventually became almost universal, whereas washing machine ownership increased more gradually.' Punctuation is accurate, and there are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The majority of sentences are error-free, showing a solid grasp of tense usage and sentence construction. The writing is clear and professional throughout.

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

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