Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-28

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 line graphs illustrate the use of electrical appliances by different users and the amount of time spent doing chores in a country from 1920 to 2019.

Overall, it is evident that the proportions of households with electronics experienced upward trends, while the amount of time spent by each household per week faced a downward trend. The usage of refrigerator reached a plateau, although there were extremely small proportions of houses using it.

At the beginning of the period, the number of households using washing machine had the highest number of 40%, which increased substantially to 70% by 1960. The percentage of households dipped slightly before increasing considerably to just above 70% in 2019. Although the percentage of vacuum cleaners was low at the beginning compared to a washing machine but its percentage overtook the proportion of washing machine and became the second most used appliance.

Refrigerator percentage rate started off at just above 0% and jumped up to 100% in 1980, afterwards its percentage remained the same. While vacuum cleaners percentage started off at 30% and ended up at 100% in 2000 and afterwards.

The number of hours spent per week declined sharply from 50 hours to hours by 1960, thereafter it decreased slightly and eventually reached 10 hours at the end of the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered both the appliance ownership and the time spent on housework. However, there are some inaccuracies in your reporting. For instance, you stated that the refrigerator reached a plateau at 100% in 1980, but the graph shows it reaching 100% in 1980 and staying there, which is correct, but your description of the vacuum cleaner's starting point and the washing machine's trend lacks precision. Additionally, the final sentence about hours spent on housework is incomplete (e.g., '50 hours to hours'), which obscures the data. To improve, ensure all data points are accurately transcribed and clearly linked to the years provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'At the beginning', and 'thereafter' to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'Although the percentage of vacuum cleaners was low... but its percentage overtook...', where the use of 'although' and 'but' in the same sentence is redundant and grammatically incorrect. Paragraphing is generally appropriate, but the transition between the appliances and the housework data could be smoother to improve the overall logical progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'upward trends', 'downward trend', 'plateau', and 'substantially'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'refrigerator percentage rate' is slightly unnatural; 'the percentage of households with refrigerators' would be better. You also use 'extremely small proportions' to describe the starting point, which is a bit vague. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical errors that affect clarity. For example, 'the number of households using washing machine had the highest number of 40%' is repetitive and slightly confusing. You also have a significant error in the final paragraph: 'declined sharply from 50 hours to hours by 1960', where a number is missing. There are also issues with article usage (e.g., 'using washing machine' instead of 'using a washing machine'). These errors occur frequently enough to occasionally impede the reader's understanding.

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

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