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)

cambridge writing task 1

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The line graph illustrates changes in the ownership of electrical appliances and the total amount of time spent on housework in households in one country from 1920 to 2019.

Overall, the ownership of refrigerators and vacuum cleaners increased significantly over the period, while washing machine ownership also rose but remained lower than the other appliances. In contrast, the number of hours spent on housework per week per household decreased considerably.

To begin with, the percentage of households owning refrigerators and vacuum cleaners increased over the period. Refrigerator ownership rose steadily and reached 100% in 1980, remaining at this level until 2019. Similarly, the proportion of households with a vacuum cleaner increased gradually, reaching about 90% in 1980 and 100% in 2019. Washing machine ownership also increased overall, although it was lower than the figures for refrigerators and vacuum cleaners for most of the period.

Meanwhile, the number of hours spent on housework per week per household showed a clear downward trend. In 1920, households spent approximately 50 hours per week on housework. This figure fell to around 35 hours in 1940 and continued to decline in the following years. By 1960, it had dropped to about 20 hours, before reaching approximately 10 hours per week in 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student has successfully covered all parts of the task by reporting the main features of both charts and making relevant comparisons. The overview captures the key trends accurately—noting the general rise in appliance ownership alongside the significant drop in housework hours. Data points are accurately referenced throughout the text, such as refrigerator ownership reaching 100% by 1980 and the weekly housework hours falling from 50 to around 10 or 11 hours. The information is well-selected and directly supported by the visual data without introducing irrelevant details, matching the descriptors for Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression. Information is grouped logically with a clear introduction, an overall summary paragraph, a body paragraph dedicated to appliance ownership, and a final body paragraph focusing on housework hours. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, such as 'In contrast', 'Similarly', and 'Meanwhile', ensuring the text flows smoothly. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 7.0 score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student displays an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited to Task 1 academic writing. Phrases such as 'significant increase', 'steady rise', and 'downward trend' demonstrate a good awareness of collocations and reporting language. While the vocabulary is largely functional and accurate, it occasionally relies on standard reporting structures rather than more sophisticated, less common lexical items, fitting comfortably within the Band 7.0 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

A good variety of complex and simple structures is employed throughout the response, such as subordinate clauses ('while washing machine ownership also rose but remained lower') and participle phrases ('before reaching approximately 10 hours per week'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and control over grammar and punctuation is strong. Minor errors are absent, indicating solid control that aligns well with a Band 7.0 or 7.5 level; a Band 7.0 is awarded for consistent accuracy across complex forms.

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