Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-29

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 charts illustrate the changes in ownership of electrical appliances and time spent doing housework per week, per household in one country between 1920 and 2019.

Overall, refrigerator recorded the sharp increased and ended with highest percentage. Likewise, Vacuum cleaner gradually climbed and finally reached the peak. While washing machine remained less common compared with other electrical appliances. In terms of working hours, followed a significant fall from 1920 to 2019.

Interest in ownership of electrical appliances changed over time. In 1920, refrigerator had no purchaser but it climbed substantially and reached the highest percentage in 1980 and after that remained stable. Similarly vacuum cleaner showed a consistent growth by starting from 30% in first year and accounted the 100 percentage in year 2000 and in 2019.

On the other hand, washing machine recorded a fluctuated but increasing share, holds 40% in 1920 and covered 70% in 1960 and 2000. Whereas it showed a little decline in 1980 but recovered and end with over 70%.

In terms of working hours, per week time spent on household activities declined considerably. 50 hours taken in 1920, which reduced to only 10 in the final year. While in 1980 and 2000, almost 15 hours required per week for household chores.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the charts, including the trends for appliance ownership and the decline in housework hours. You successfully identify the main trends, such as the refrigerator's sharp rise and the inverse relationship between appliance ownership and time spent on chores. However, the report could be improved by making more direct comparisons between the categories rather than describing them in isolation. For instance, noting that the rise in appliance ownership coincides with the reduction in housework hours would strengthen the analysis. The overview is present but could be more clearly integrated to highlight the overall relationship between the two datasets.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific trends. You use some cohesive devices like 'On the other hand' and 'Similarly' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by mechanical phrasing and some awkward transitions. For example, the sentence 'In terms of working hours, followed a significant fall' lacks a clear subject, which disrupts the logical progression. Additionally, some referencing is slightly repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence has a clear subject-verb structure would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'substantially,' 'fluctuated,' and 'consistently.' However, there are several instances of inaccurate word choice and collocation, such as 'refrigerator recorded the sharp increased' (should be 'a sharp increase') and 'accounted the 100 percentage' (should be 'reached 100%'). These errors occasionally distract the reader. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and adverbs of degree will also help improve the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the precision of your writing. Issues include missing articles ('refrigerator recorded...'), incorrect verb forms ('accounted the 100 percentage'), and sentence fragments ('In terms of working hours, followed a significant fall'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Practicing the construction of complex sentences with accurate punctuation will also help you demonstrate better control over your grammar.

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

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