Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-30

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 6.5)

The line chart depicts the changes in ownership of electrical appliances and the amount of time spent doing housework in one country from 1920 to 2019.

Overall, it is clear that the usage of electrical appliances increased dramatically over time; in contrast, the number of hours per week spent on housework declined significantly.

In 1920, the sharpest rise was recorded in refrigerators, which grew from 0% to 100% over the period. However, the usage of washing machines was 40% initially, as compared to vacuum cleaners which were 30%. Additionally, the usage of vacuum cleaners soared to 100% in 2019. In contrast, the utilization of washing machines stood at just over 70% from 1920 to 2019.

The significant decline was recorded in the number of hours per week. Initially, the 50 hours per week in housework were documented in 1920, which fell to 20 hours per week in 1960. Meanwhile, the graph fluctuated slightly and it came to an end in 2019 with almost 10 hours per week due to increased electrical appliances usage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student provides a clear overview of the main trends shown in the two charts, noting the overall increase in electrical appliance ownership and the corresponding decrease in housework hours. Key features are reported, such as refrigerators and vacuum cleaners reaching 100% by 2019, and the drop in housework hours from 50 to around 10. However, there are some inaccuracies in data interpretation. For example, the student states that in 1920 refrigerators grew 'from 0% to 100%', whereas the chart shows them starting at 2%, and claims washing machines stood 'at just over 70% from 1920 to 2019', whereas they started at 40% and fluctuated. Despite these minor data inaccuracies, all parts of the task are addressed with relevant comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is logically organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a body paragraph detailing appliance ownership, and a body paragraph detailing housework hours. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Additionally', and 'Meanwhile' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, and there is a clear overall progression from the introduction to the general trends and specific details. Referencing is generally clear, though some transitions between sentences could be smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for Task 1, including terms like 'depicts', 'dramatically', 'declined significantly', 'utilization', and 'fluctuated slightly'. There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary ('soared', 'utilization'), though word choice is occasionally imprecise, such as 'usage of electrical appliances increased dramatically' when referring to ownership percentages, or stating that refrigerators 'grew from 0%'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and errors do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and comparative forms (e.g., 'as compared to vacuum cleaners which were 30%'). There are several grammatical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'the usage of washing machines was 40% initially' (missing 'at'), 'the 50 hours per week in housework were documented', and 'due to increased electrical appliances usage' (should be 'appliance usage'). However, these errors do not impede overall comprehension, and punctuation is generally handled well.

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