Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

The provided set of charts details two aspects of household life in a specific country from 1920 to 2019: the ownership of electrical appliances and the time dedicated to housework.

In the chart about appliance ownership, in 1920, the percentage of households with refrigerators was close to zero, while for washing machines and vacuum cleaners, it was around 40% and 30% respectively. By 1940, the proportion of households with refrigerators increased significantly to around 55%, slightly overtaking the ownership rate of vacuum cleaners, but still remained below the 60% rate of washing machines.

The ownership of vacuum cleaners grew steadily over the years, reaching a plateau close to 100% around 2000 and maintaining that level through 2019. Refrigerator ownership reached 100% even earlier in 1980 and remained at that level through 2019. The percentage of households with washing machines increased gradually from 1920 to 1960, approaching 70%, before briefly dropping to approximately 62% in 1980. It then continued to slowly increase again until reaching about 75% in 2019.

Turning to the housework-related chart, in 1920, an average household spent approximately 50 hours per week on housework, which included washing clothes, preparing meals, and cleaning. This number declined continuously over the years. By 1960, it had dropped to around 20 hours, and by 2019, it further decreased to roughly 11 hours per week.

In summary, the increased prevalence of electrical appliances in households seems to have coincided with a substantial reduction in the time spent on housework over the 99-year period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the trends and successfully selected key features, such as the inverse relationship between appliance ownership and housework time. The data is accurately reported, and the comparisons between the three appliances are well-integrated. You have managed to highlight the main trends, such as the plateauing of ownership rates and the steady decline in hours spent on housework. The response is well-structured and covers the requirements of the prompt comprehensively, demonstrating a clear understanding of the data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs focusing on specific data sets, and a concise summary. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving logically from appliance ownership to the time spent on housework. Cohesive devices, such as 'Turning to', 'By 1940', and 'In summary', are used effectively to guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two distinct charts, which enhances the overall readability of the report. The information is presented in a coherent manner throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends and data points accurately. Phrases such as 'increased significantly', 'reached a plateau', and 'declined continuously' are appropriate for this task type. The language is precise and natural, allowing for a clear description of the charts. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' could elevate the response further. However, the current range is more than adequate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a good command of grammatical structures. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively, such as 'The ownership of vacuum cleaners grew steadily over the years, reaching a plateau close to 100% around 2000'. Punctuation is accurate, and there are very few errors. The sentence structures are varied, which helps maintain the flow of the report. The grammar is generally error-free, and the few minor slips do not impede communication or detract from the overall quality of the writing.

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

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