Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · 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 8.5)

The two line graphs compare the percentage of households that owned three electrical appliances (washing machine, refrigerator and vacuum cleaner) and the average number of hours of housework per week in one country between 1920 and 2019.

Overall, ownership of all three appliances increased substantially over the period, with refrigerators and vacuum cleaners becoming almost universal by the end of the period. At the same time, the amount of time spent on housework fell dramatically.

In 1920, around 40% of households owned a washing machine, while approximately 30% had a vacuum cleaner. In contrast, almost no homes had a refrigerator. Refrigerator ownership then rose rapidly, reaching about 90% by 1980 and 100% from 2000 onwards. Vacuum cleaner ownership also increased steadily from 30% in 1920 to 100% by 2019. Washing machines experienced a more gradual rise, climbing from 40% to around 70% in 1960 before dipping slightly to 65% in 1980.

The second graph shows a clear downward trend in the time devoted to housework. In 1920, households spent about 50 hours per week on domestic chores. This figure fell steadily to around 35 hours in 1940 and 20 hours by 1960. After declining further to roughly 15 hours in 1980, it reached only about 10 hours per week in both 2000 and 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified all key trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You effectively selected the most important features, such as the near-universal ownership of appliances by 2019 and the inverse relationship between appliance ownership and housework hours. The data is accurately reported, and the comparison between the two graphs is well-integrated. You have fully satisfied the requirements of the task by providing a comprehensive summary with relevant data points to support your observations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction/overview, the appliance trends, and the housework trends. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'At the same time', and 'After declining further' effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is logical, and the flow of information is smooth throughout the text. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of cohesive devices, making the writing easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a wide and precise range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Phrases such as 'becoming almost universal', 'experienced a more gradual rise', and 'clear downward trend' show a sophisticated control of language. You avoid repetition and use collocations accurately. The vocabulary is not only sufficient but also adds to the clarity and professional tone of the response. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or spelling, and the language used is natural and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response displays a high level of grammatical accuracy and a good variety of sentence structures. You successfully use complex sentences, such as 'In 1920, around 40% of households owned a washing machine, while approximately 30% had a vacuum cleaner,' which are error-free. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no grammatical slips that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are complex and error-free, demonstrating a strong command of English grammar suitable for an academic context.

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