Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-02

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 two line charts above illustrate differences in ownership of electrical appliances and amount of time spent on housework in households in a country across a century.

The first line graph corresponds to the proportions of households with different electrical appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners.

Overall, the ownership of refrigerators was at its lowest among all electrical appliances, and it saw a rapid increase over the years. Meanwhile, ownership of vacuum cleaner saw a slow and steady increase up until 2019. As for washing machines, it can be seen that the trend goes upwards until 1960, then it went slightly downwards in 1980 before going back up in 2000 and 2019.

It can be seen that in 1920, there was practically no ownership of the refrigerators at all, whereas vacuum cleaner ownership was at 30%, and that of washing machine was slightly higher, at 40%. In 1940, the number rose significantly for all three appliances, with 40%, 50% and 60% for vacuum cleaner, refrigerator and washing machine respectfully. In 1960, it was 70% for both vacuum cleaner and washing machine, and 90% for refrigerators. In 1980, only 60% people owned washing machine whereas the ownerships of vacuum cleaners and refrigerator was higher than last 20 years, at 80%. and 90%. In 2000 both vacuum cleaner and refrigerator ownership was at 90%, and 60% for washing machine.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided data to support your descriptions. However, the task instructions explicitly mention two charts: one for appliance ownership and one for time spent on housework. You have completely omitted the second chart regarding housework hours. This is a significant omission that prevents you from achieving a higher band score. To improve, ensure you analyze all visual data provided in the prompt. While your description of the appliance trends is generally accurate, the failure to address the second half of the task means the response is only partially addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'As for', and 'whereas'. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by mechanical phrasing. For instance, the transition between the overview and the specific data points could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the paragraphing could be more balanced to ensure the flow of information is consistent throughout the response. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the lack of a second body paragraph for the missing data chart limits the cohesion of the report as a whole.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportions', 'ownership', and 'significantly'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'respectfully' instead of 'respectively', and 'ownerships' (plural) which is unnecessary here. You also rely on repetitive sentence structures to introduce data. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied reporting verbs and synonyms for 'increase' or 'decrease' to avoid repetition. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'ownership of vacuum cleaner' should be 'ownership of vacuum cleaners', and 'only 60% people owned washing machine' is missing an article ('the' washing machine). Additionally, there are punctuation errors, such as the stray period in '80%. and 90%'. These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve your accuracy.

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

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