Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

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 the 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 a 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, its percentage overtook the proportion of a 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 on housework per week declined sharply from 50 hours to 20 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 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview. You covered all parts of the task, including the appliance ownership percentages and the decline in housework hours. However, there are some inaccuracies in your data reporting. For instance, you mention that the refrigerator reached a plateau at 100% in 1980, but your description of the initial percentage as 'extremely small' is vague. Additionally, stating that the washing machine reached 70% in 1960 and then dipped before returning to 70% is slightly confusing. To improve, ensure that your data points are precise and that you make more explicit comparisons between the two graphs, such as linking the rise in appliance ownership to the decline in housework time.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'At the beginning of the period' and 'thereafter'. However, the transition between the discussion of appliances and the housework hours is a bit abrupt. The paragraphing is generally appropriate, but the flow within the third and fourth paragraphs could be improved by using more varied linking words to connect the trends of different appliances. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the reader can easily follow your analysis of the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'reached a plateau', 'upward trends', and 'declined sharply' are well-chosen and appropriate for an academic report. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'number of households using a washing machine had the highest number of 40%', which is slightly repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repeating the same words (e.g., 'percentage' is used very frequently). Expanding your vocabulary to include more varied ways of describing trends would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to understand. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'Refrigerator percentage rate started off at just above 0%' (missing an article) and 'in 2000 and afterwards' (which is slightly awkward phrasing). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent article usage and refining the structure of your complex sentences will help improve your accuracy and range.

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

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