Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-08

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 6.0)

The line chart illustrates the changes in ownership of electrical appliances and the amount of time spent doing housework in households in one country between 1920 and 2019.

Overall, the proportion of refrigerator increased gradually and remained at 100%, over the period. However, the share of vacuum cleaner increased constantly and remained at a peak over the years, whereas the percentage of washing machine fluctuated throughout the period. In contrast, it was seen that as the year passed, the time spent on housework by households decreased significantly.

Regarding the percentage of households with electrical appliances. In 1920, the refrigerator was held by 0% of households, which increased to around 55% in 1940. It then increased to 90% in 1960. This share peaked at 100% in 1980 and remained stable in 2000 and 2019. Additionally, 30% of households had vacuum cleaner in 1920 before reaching to 50% in 1940. It climbed to 70% in 1960 and reached at 90% in 1980. It then increased to a peak of 100% in 2000 and remained unchanged in 2019. Similarly, almost 40% of households had washing machine in 1920. This percentage increased to 60% in 1940 and 70% in 1960. The share then fell slightly to around 65% in 1980 before recovering at 70% in 2000. It then stood at 75% in 2019.

Turning to time spent by households on house works, accounted for 50% in 1920. It decreased steadily to around 35% in 1940, before reaching to just 20% in 1960. It then declined slightly to 15% in 1980 and remained unchanged in 2000. This percentage fell to a low of around 11% in 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. You have identified the main trends for both appliance ownership and the time spent on housework. The overview is clear and highlights the key inverse relationship between the two sets of data. You have selected relevant data points to support your descriptions, such as the peak years for appliances and the steady decline in housework time. To reach a higher band, ensure that you avoid minor inaccuracies in data reporting; for example, you described the washing machine ownership as having 'fluctuated', but the data shows a generally upward trend with only a minor dip, which is better described as 'a slight decline' or 'a period of instability'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the appliance data from the housework data. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Regarding', and 'Turning to', which helps the flow of information. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'Regarding the percentage of households with electrical appliances', which is a sentence fragment. Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring all sentences are grammatically complete would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', and 'declined steadily'. There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'reached at 90%' (should be 'reached 90%') and 'house works' (should be 'housework'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for the higher bands. Focusing on more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help improve your score in this criterion.

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 recurring grammatical errors. For instance, you frequently use 'reached to' (e.g., 'reaching to 50%'), which is incorrect; the verb 'reach' does not take a preposition. There are also minor errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'the refrigerator was held by 0% of households' (the data refers to the category of appliances generally, not a specific refrigerator). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not impede communication. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would improve your score.

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