Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-18

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 two charts illustrate how the proportion of households owning three electrical appliances (washing machines, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners) changed between 1920 and 2019, alongside the corresponding weekly hours spent on housework over the same period.

Overall, ownership of all three appliances rose considerably over the century, with refrigerators and vacuum cleaners eventually reaching almost universal ownership, while washing machines lagged behind. Correspondingly, the time devoted to housework fell sharply as appliance ownership increased.

In 1920, washing machines were the most common appliance, present in 40% of households, compared with just 30% for vacuum cleaners and a mere 2% for refrigerators. However, refrigerator ownership then surged dramatically, overtaking the other two appliances by 1960 at 90%, before reaching 100% by 1980 and remaining at that level thereafter. Vacuum cleaner ownership followed a similar upward trajectory, climbing steadily to reach 100% by 2019. Washing machines, by contrast, grew far more modestly, peaking at around 70% in 1960 and fluctuating between 63% and 73% for the remainder of the period.

Meanwhile, weekly housework hours declined consistently, from 50 hours in 1920 to just 10 hours in 2019, with the steepest drop occurring between 1920 and 1960 — precisely when appliance ownership was rising fastest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the relationship between appliance ownership and housework hours. You selected key data points, such as the 1920 starting figures and the 1960/2019 milestones, to support your analysis. The comparison between the rising ownership of appliances and the declining time spent on housework is well-integrated. All parts of the prompt are addressed, and the information is presented in a logical, analytical manner that fully satisfies the requirements of an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You use paragraphing effectively to separate the appliance ownership data from the housework hours data. Cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'by contrast', and 'Correspondingly' are used naturally to link sentences and paragraphs. The flow of information is smooth, and the referencing is precise, making the text very easy to follow. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words, which demonstrates a high level of control over the structure of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You demonstrate a wide and sophisticated range of vocabulary. Phrases such as 'upward trajectory', 'reaching almost universal ownership', and 'fluctuating between' show a high level of lexical precision. The vocabulary is not only accurate but also contextually appropriate for a formal report. There are no spelling errors, and your choice of collocations is natural throughout the text. You successfully avoid repetition by using varied synonyms to describe trends and changes, which contributes to the overall fluency of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The response displays a wide range of grammatical structures with full flexibility and accuracy. You use complex sentences effectively, such as 'However, refrigerator ownership then surged dramatically, overtaking the other two appliances by 1960 at 90%, before reaching 100% by 1980 and remaining at that level thereafter.' Punctuation is used correctly to manage long, complex sentences. There are no grammatical errors, and the control over verb tenses and sentence construction is consistent throughout the entire piece. It is a highly accurate and well-constructed response.

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