Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-01

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 graph shows changes in household ownership of electrical appliances and the amount of time spent on housework in one country between 1920 and 2019.

Overall, ownership of all three electrical appliances increased over the period, although the proportion of households owning a washing machine fluctuated. Refrigerators experienced the most significant growth, rising from 0% in 1920 to 100% in 1980. Meanwhile, the amount of time spent on housework decreased steadily throughout the period.

In 1920, refrigerators were owned by none of the households, while 40% of households owned washing machines and 30% owned vacuum cleaners. By 1940, these figures had increased to 55% for refrigerators, 60% for washing machines and 50% for vacuum cleaners. In 1960, the proportions of households owning vacuum cleaners and washing machines were both 70%, while the figure for refrigerators had risen to 90%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response satisfies the length check by falling slightly short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 140 words. Regarding content, the student addresses all parts of the task by reporting on both charts, and an overview is provided. However, the data coverage is incomplete as the writing abruptly cuts off in the middle of describing the year 1960, omitting the remaining decades up to 2019 and the final data points for housework hours. This leaves key trends and comparisons underdeveloped, placing this criterion at the intermediate band level where some parts are covered while others remain missing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph presenting data logically. Information is sequenced chronologically starting with 1920. However, cohesion relies on somewhat basic mechanical devices and referencing, such as repetitive transitions and sentence structures ("By 1940..."; "In 1960..."). While paragraphing is present and logical, the incomplete nature of the response prevents a fully developed progression throughout the entire timeframe, meeting the requirements of the lower-to-middle band where logical organization is visible but cohesive control shows limitations.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The student displays an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited to the task, successfully employing terms such as "proportion," "fluctuated," "significant growth," and "steady decrease." There is an attempt to use less common lexical items with appropriate precision, such as describing refrigerators rising from "0% in 1920 to 100% in 1980." Word choice and spelling are generally accurate throughout the text without any impeding errors. This sits comfortably within the upper-intermediate band, showing a sufficient range for flexibility and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

There is a good variety of sentence structures used, combining simple and complex forms effectively. The student demonstrates good control over verb tenses suited for past data ("increased," "experienced," "had increased"). Complex structures such as introductory clauses ("while 40% of households owned...") are handled accurately, and there are frequent error-free sentences throughout the text. Punctuation is well managed. This performance reflects a strong command of grammar with a high proportion of error-free sentences, aligning with the upper-intermediate to advanced band descriptors.

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

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