Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-25

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 line graphs compare the proportion of households with electrical appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners and the number of hours spent per household spent using these appliances in housework in a country from 1920 to 2019.

Overall, it is clear that the appliance which experienced a sharp growth was the refrigerator over the period which was least popular in the households at the beginning. In contrast, the washing machine showed a steady growth during these 100 years. Furthermore, the amount of time spent doing housework declined substantially.

Regarding the electrical appliances, the refrigerator was at the bottom of the trend around 0% of households in 1920 which peaked briefly before levelling off at 100% in 1980. In 1920, about 30% of households had vacuum cleaner which rose sharply to 100% in 2000. Then, it levelled off at this figure. Finally, the washing machine which was the most popular choice in 1920 recorded a positive growth and reached about 75% in 2019.

In 1920, 50 hours per week were spent in a household doing household chores. However, the figure fell sharply to 10 hours in 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features and trends of the data. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with specific data from the charts. However, the task requires comparing the two charts. While you mention the decline in housework time, you do not explicitly link this to the rise in appliance ownership. For example, noting that the period of most rapid appliance adoption (1950-1980) coincides with the sharpest drop in housework hours would have strengthened your analysis. Additionally, ensure all data points are accurate; the refrigerator trend in the graph shows it starting at 0% in 1920, but your description of it being 'least popular' is slightly vague compared to the specific data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', and 'Finally' to guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the appliances from the housework time. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between the two distinct datasets is smoother. Currently, the jump from the appliance paragraph to the housework paragraph is a bit abrupt. Using a linking phrase to connect the rise in technology to the reduction in labor would improve the overall flow and logical progression of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'sharp growth', 'levelling off', and 'recorded a positive growth' are appropriate for describing trends. However, there is some repetition of basic structures and a few minor inaccuracies, such as 'at the bottom of the trend' which is slightly unnatural. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations related to data description. You have a solid foundation, but expanding your repertoire of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' will help you achieve a more sophisticated tone in future tasks.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is generally effective. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'about 30% of households had vacuum cleaner' (missing an article) and 'number of hours spent per household spent using' (redundant verb). Additionally, the sentence 'the refrigerator was at the bottom of the trend around 0% of households in 1920 which peaked briefly' is slightly clunky. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on article usage and refining relative clauses will help improve your accuracy.

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

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