Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-31
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 bar charts compare the changes in ownership of three electrical appliances including washing machine, refrigerator and vacuum cleaner, and show amount of time spent doing housework of a country between 1920 and 2019.
Overall, the percentage of refrigerator increased sharply over the time compare to washing machine and vacuum cleaner. However, the work hours were also reduce with time.
In 1920, washing machine was at top appliance used in households items with 40% while refrigerator was at its lowest peak. Although, vacuum cleaner was in between with 30%. However, there were seen a sudden rise in the percentage of refrigerator and it reached at 100% in 2019. The percentage for other the two items also showed an increasing trend over time.
According to housework, in 1920, it took 50 hours per week to complete washing, cleaning and preparing meals. Meanwhile, this time reduced to 20 hours per week in 1960 which further decreased to 10 hours 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 | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts, including the trends in appliance ownership and the decline in housework hours. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For example, the statement that the washing machine was the 'top appliance' in 1920 is inaccurate based on the provided data, which shows it at 40% while the refrigerator was lower. The overview is present but could be more precise. To improve, ensure that data points are cited accurately and that the comparison between the two charts is more explicit, as the prompt asks for comparisons where relevant.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Meanwhile', but some transitions feel mechanical or slightly misused, such as the repetitive use of 'However' at the start of consecutive sentences. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the appliance data and the housework data is abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used to connect ideas more naturally would enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe trends (e.g., 'increased sharply', 'increasing trend', 'reduced'). However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'lowest peak' (which is contradictory) and 'at top appliance used in households items'. The range is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'plateaued', 'fluctuated', or 'a significant decline', and avoid redundant phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'work hours were also reduce' (should be 'reduced'), 'there were seen a sudden rise' (should be 'there was a sudden rise'), and 'percentage of refrigerator' (should be 'percentage of refrigerators'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. Increasing the accuracy of verb tenses and subject-verb agreement is essential for a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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