Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26
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 5.5)
The line chart illustrated the major changes in ownership of electrical appliances and proportion of time spent doing housework in households in one country between 1920 and 2019.
Overall, washing machine was the highest proportion of household, this trend seen fluctuation in the end. The second largest proportion of households which was vacuum cleaner. However, vacuum cleaner was dramatically increased at the end. Refrigerator had the lowest share of household, whereas it reached to highest position.
To begin with, washing machine the highest percentage of households with electrical appliances at 40% in 1920. It slightly increased to 70% in 1960, while then trend slightly fluctuated in 1980. Vacuum cleaner the second largest share of households at 30%, whereas this percentage experienced dramatically rose to 90% in 2000. In addition, refrigerator never used before in 1920. it significantly increased to 100% in 1980. this trend remained till the end of the period.
Turning to the next details, the figure of hours of housework per weak, per house. 50 hours housework per weak in 1920. then hours declined to 10 hours housework in weak in 2019.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identify the trends for the appliances and the decline in housework hours, the comparison between the two datasets is missing. You need to explicitly link the rise in appliance ownership to the decrease in housework time to fully address the prompt. Furthermore, the overview is slightly inaccurate; for instance, stating the refrigerator reached the 'highest position' is correct, but the description of the washing machine's trend is confusing and lacks precision regarding the final data points. To improve, ensure your overview highlights the clear inverse relationship between the two sets of data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For example, 'Turning to the next details' is an awkward transition, and the lack of linking words between sentences makes the flow feel disjointed. Referencing is also problematic; phrases like 'this trend' are used without clear antecedents. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'in contrast', 'furthermore') to create a smoother logical progression between your ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic descriptors like 'highest' and 'increased' repeatedly. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'dramatically rose' (should be 'a dramatic rise') and 'never used before' (which is not strictly accurate based on the chart). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to trends, such as 'plateaued', 'surged', or 'a steady decline', and ensure you use the correct word forms (nouns vs. verbs).
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles ('washing machine the highest percentage'), incorrect verb tenses ('the line chart illustrated' should be 'illustrates'), and sentence fragments ('50 hours housework per weak in 1920'). Additionally, there are spelling errors such as 'weak' instead of 'week'. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often faulty. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and using articles correctly before attempting more complex grammatical forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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