Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-03

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 8.5)

The two line graphs illustrate the changes in the percentage of households adopting three different electrical appliances and the corresponding average weekly time spent on household chores in a single country between 1920 and 2019.Overall, there was a significant upward trend in the ownership of all three electrical appliances over the 99-year period, with refrigerators experiencing the most dramatic growth. Conversely, an inverse relationship is observed in the second chart, as the amount of time dedicated to housework saw a substantial and continuous decline.In 1920, washing machines were the most prevalent appliance, owned by 40% of households, followed by vacuum cleaners at 30%. In contrast, refrigerator ownership was virtually non-existent at roughly 0%. However, the popularity of refrigerators surged dramatically over the next few decades, overtaking the other two devices to reach 90% by 1960, and eventually achieving full 100% market saturation by 1980. Vacuum cleaner ownership grew steadily, also hitting 100% by the year 2000. Meanwhile, the proportion of households with washing machines experienced minor fluctuations; it climbed to 70% in 1960, dipped slightly to around 65% in 1980, and ultimately finished the period at approximately 75% in 2019.The widespread adoption of these time-saving technologies coincided with a sharp reduction in domestic labor. In 1920, families spent an average of 50 hours per week performing household chores, such as cleaning, washing clothes, and cooking. As electrical appliance usage escalated, this figure dropped precipitously to 20 hours per week by 1960. From that point onward, the downward trend slowed but remained steady, ultimately reaching its lowest point of just over 10 hours per week by 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified all key features, including the trends for the three appliances and the inverse relationship with housework hours. The data is accurately reported, and you have made effective comparisons, such as noting the 'dramatic growth' of refrigerators compared to the other appliances. The overview is clear and provides a strong summary of the main trends. You have fully addressed all parts of the prompt, and the information is well-supported by the provided data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Conversely', 'In contrast', 'However', and 'Meanwhile', which help the reader follow the narrative of the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis of the two charts. The flow between sentences is natural, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow and coherent throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You have demonstrated a wide and sophisticated range of vocabulary. Phrases such as 'market saturation', 'precipitously', 'inverse relationship', and 'prevalent' show an excellent command of language suitable for an academic report. The word choices are precise and contribute to the professional tone of the writing. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the vocabulary is used with natural control throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The response displays a wide range of grammatical structures with full flexibility and accuracy. You have used complex sentences effectively, such as 'The widespread adoption of these time-saving technologies coincided with a sharp reduction in domestic labor.' Punctuation is accurate, and there are no grammatical errors that impede communication. The control over sentence structure is consistent, and the writing is error-free, reflecting a high level of proficiency.

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