Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-21
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 given chart illustrates the changes in usage of electrical appliances and the amount of time spent doing household work in a country since 1920 to 2019.
Overall, a gradual increase in the usage of electrical appliance could be seen from 1920 to 2019, whereas a downward trend is noticed in the amount of time taken in doing the household work.
In the 1920, a decent percentage of households had the ownership of electrical appliances including vacuum cleaner and washing machines, but a number of households, which uses refrigerator increased since 1920. Where electrical appliances had mostly shown an upward trend, fluctuation could be seen in the usage of washing machines.
With the steady increase in the percentages of households using electrical appliances, the number of hours required to do the housework, such as washing and cleaning, declined through out the years.
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 trends shown in both charts, noting the overall increase in appliance ownership and the simultaneous decrease in housework hours. However, the essay is under the 150-word minimum, containing only 142 words, which leads to a necessary penalty under Task Achievement. Furthermore, the descriptions of specific data points lack precision; for example, stating 'In the 1920' rather than 'In 1920', and vague references like 'a decent percentage' or 'a number of households, which uses refrigerator increased'. While the overview is present and accurate, the lack of detailed data selection and the failure to meet the minimum length requirement limit the score to a Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is divided into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then body paragraphs detailing the data. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'whereas', and 'With the steady increase', which help guide the reader through the text. However, paragraphing and referencing are sometimes a bit mechanical or imprecise, and the transition between sentences can feel abrupt. For instance, the third paragraph introduces vague comparisons without clear progression. Overall, the structural organization provides a coherent framework, but the execution of cohesion prevents it from reaching a higher band. Coherence and cohesion are judged at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'electrical appliances', 'ownership', 'downward trend', and 'fluctuation'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'usage of electrical appliance' (missing plural), 'time taken in doing the household work' (unnatural collocation), and 'had the ownership of'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but word choice inaccuracies and grammatical form errors ('uses refrigerator' instead of 'use of refrigerators') detract from the precision required at higher bands. The lexical range is sufficient for a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using clauses with 'whereas', 'including', and 'with the steady increase'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several errors, such as prepositions and articles: 'in usage of electrical appliance' instead of 'in the usage of electrical appliances', 'In the 1920' instead of 'In 1920', and 'through out' (written as two words). While these errors rarely impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough across the short text to prevent the achievement of a Band 6.0. Grammar is assessed at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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