Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-21
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 graphs illustrate the percentage of households with electrical appliances and number of hours spent on housework per week per household from 1920 to 2019.
It is clear, the figures for ownership of electrical appliances increased for al the three items, but the proportion of households with refrigerator experienced the most significant increase. By contrast, there was a gradual decline in number of working hours per household in a week over the period.
In 1920, washing machine and vacuum cleaner were used in 40% and 30% homes respectively, while, the use of refrigerator was least common with almost 0% of homes. The figure for refrigerator rose dramatically to 90% of homes using it in 1960. Other two appliances followed the same trend and both reached to 70%. In 1960, vacuum cleaner surpassed the washing machine and saw a peak of 100% in 2000, equal to the refrigerator, both maintained it till the end. In comparison, after a slight decline the percentage of households with washing machine again climbed to just above 70% in 2019.
The number of working hours per household per week decreased sharply from 50 to 20 between 1920 and 1960, which further reduced to 10 in 2019.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers all key features of the data, including the trends for appliance ownership and the decline in housework hours. You have successfully identified the main trends and made relevant comparisons, such as noting the dramatic rise in refrigerator ownership compared to the other appliances. The overview is clear and highlights the inverse relationship between appliance ownership and time spent on housework. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with complete accuracy; for instance, the claim that the vacuum cleaner reached 100% in 2000 is a specific detail that must be carefully checked against the provided visual data to ensure precision.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving from the appliance trends to the housework hours. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'By contrast', 'In 1920', and 'In comparison' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two distinct datasets. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, 'Other two appliances' would be better phrased as 'The other two appliances' to maintain grammatical flow and cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'significant increase', 'gradual decline', and 'surpassed' are used appropriately. There are some minor errors, such as 'al the three items' (should be 'all three') and 'reached to 70%' (the verb 'reach' does not take a preposition). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more sophisticated collocations or varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' would help elevate the lexical score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('the refrigerator', 'the washing machine') and minor prepositional errors. The sentence 'In 1960, vacuum cleaner surpassed the washing machine' lacks an article before 'vacuum cleaner'. Additionally, 'both maintained it till the end' is slightly awkward. To improve, focus on article usage and ensuring that verbs are used with the correct prepositional patterns. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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