Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-25

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 line graphs illustrate the consumptions of electrical appliances and amount of hours spent doing chores in households in one country from 1920 to 2019. Units are measured in percentage and hours.

Overall, it is clear that both refrigerator and vacuum cleaner had the highest figure, while washing machine recorded the lowest. The figure of housework decreased sharply over the time.

Looking first at refrigerator, the figure stood at the bottom in 1920. It then increased rapidly with the percentage around 55 in 1940. After that the figure reached a peak of 100 percent in 1980, and then remained stable during the final year. In initial year, the consumption of vacuum cleaner was 30%. In 1940, the figure rose to 50%, and then climbed steadily up to 2000. By the end of the period

it usage reached to 100% and then remained unchanged. Washing machine had the highest consumption in starting years, after that the figure fluctuate between 1960 to 2000 and then reached a high of around 75%.

Turning to number of hours, in initial years they spent 50 hours per week, after that it decreased to around 35 hours, and then fell significantly over the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student attempts to address all parts of the task by reporting the main trends for appliance ownership and housework hours. However, there are notable inaccuracies and confusions in data reporting. For instance, the student states that 'refrigerator and vacuum cleaner had the highest figure, while washing machine recorded the lowest', which is inaccurate since washing machines reached 75% ownership by 2019, which is higher than zero and substantial compared to 1920. Furthermore, the description of the washing machine contains factual errors regarding the chart's timeline, stating it 'fluctuate between 1960 to 2000' whereas ownership was relatively stable or rose, and misrepresenting its initial status ('highest consumption in starting years' when it was 40% compared to vacuum's 30% and fridge's 2%). An overview is provided, but data selection and accuracy require improvement, corresponding to a band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is structured into distinct paragraphs, starting with an introduction followed by an overview, body paragraphs for appliance ownership, and a final brief paragraph on housework hours. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data (e.g., 'Looking first at refrigerator', 'After that', 'Turning to number of hours'). However, logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by imprecise referencing, such as 'By the end of the period it usage reached to 100%', where 'it' is non-standard. Paragraphing is adequate, but transitions can feel slightly mechanical. This overall performance fits band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, such as 'consumptions', 'appliance', 'percentage', and 'fluctuate'. However, there are frequent inappropriate word choices and collocations, such as 'consumptions of electrical appliances' (instead of 'ownership'), 'the figure stood at the bottom', 'it usage reached to 100%' (instead of 'its usage'), and 'highest consumption in starting years'. These lexical slips and repetitive use of the word 'figure' limit the precision required for higher bands, placing this aspect at a band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graphs illustrate the consumptions...' and 'It then increased rapidly with the percentage around 55 in 1940.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, including missing prepositions or articles (e.g., 'in initial year', 'in starting years', 'it decreased to around 35 hours' referring back to hours), punctuation slips, and incorrect verb forms ('fluctuate' instead of 'fluctuated'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently throughout the text, warranting a band 5.5.

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

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