Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-23

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 6.0)

The first chart shows the percentage of household with electrical appliances from the year 1920 to 2019. The appliances considered includes, washing machine, refrigerator and vacuum cleaner.

In 1940, the percentage of household with refrigerator spiked above 50 percent from zero as seen in 1920. There is a constant growth seen up on till 1980 where a 100 percent increase was witnessed. This increase remained till 2019. The ownership of vacuum cleaners in homes was also seen at 30 percent in 1920 and a gradual continuous growth happened between 1920 to 2000 when a 100 percent ownership was seen in homes and it remained constant till the year 2019. It was also reported that 40 percent of homes owned a washing machine in 1920. However, a slight decrease in ownership was witnessed in 1980 to 60 percent after it climbed to 70 percent in 1960. However, there has been a slight continuous growth to above 70 percent after the decline.

The second chart shows the number of hours of housework per week, per household. These housework includes washing clothes, preparing meals and cleaning. In 1920, half of the day was used for housework. There is a drastic decline to 20 percent in the number of hours used for housework by the year 1960 which has continuously decreased to 10 percent by 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends for both charts. However, there are significant inaccuracies in your data reporting. For instance, you state that housework hours declined to '20 percent' and '10 percent', whereas the chart clearly shows hours per week (50 down to 10). Additionally, you mention a '100 percent increase' for refrigerators, which is mathematically confusing in this context. To reach a higher band, ensure you report the data precisely as presented in the axes and labels. While you cover all parts of the task, the lack of precision in data interpretation prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into paragraphs, with the first paragraph introducing the charts, the second covering appliances, and the third covering housework. You use some cohesive devices like 'However' and 'In 1920', which help the flow. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the refrigerator and vacuum cleaner data feels a bit list-like. To improve, try to group related trends together more fluidly and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'this increase') clearly points to the intended antecedent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'spiked', 'gradual continuous growth', and 'drastic decline'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'up on till' is non-standard, and '100 percent increase' is used incorrectly to describe reaching a 100 percent ownership level. There are also minor grammatical errors in word form, such as 'appliances considered includes' (should be 'include'). Expanding your range of reporting verbs and adverbs would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. Subject-verb agreement issues are present, such as 'appliances considered includes' and 'These housework includes'. There are also punctuation and phrasing issues, such as 'up on till' and the comma usage in '1980 to 60 percent after it climbed to 70 percent in 1960'. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your prepositions and verb tenses are used consistently when describing past trends.

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

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