Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-08

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 charts compares the changes in electrical appliance ownership and the amount of time spent doing housework between 1920 and 2019.

Overall, ownership of electrical appliances increased considerably, while the amount of time spent on housework decreased significantly.

In the first chart, the refrigerator and vacuum cleaner increased in 1920 and remain stable in 2019. For instance the refrigerator starts from 0% and rose upto 100% . Whereas the washing machine rose in starting year from 40% and fluctuated in between and stabled in 2019.

On the other hand the time spent in housework per week seen decreased from 1920 to 2019. For example the 50 hours were in the start of 1920 and it reduced 10 hours per week.

In comparison the figure of electronic appliances were high while the numbers of hours of house work per week were low.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad overall pattern accurately: appliance ownership generally rose, while weekly housework time fell. However, the response only partially reports the chart’s key details, which limits how fully it addresses the task. The claim that refrigerators and vacuum cleaners “remain stable in 2019” is unclear and misses their different trajectories: refrigerators reached 100% by 1980, while vacuum-cleaner ownership continued rising until 2000. The washing-machine description also omits its slight dip around 1980. Some figures are inaccurate or imprecise: refrigerators began at about 2%, not 0%, and housework fell to about 11 hours, not 10. The response is also 9 words below the required minimum. Include more accurate comparisons and key stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate comments on appliance ownership and housework. This helps the reader follow the broad subject. However, progression within the body is limited, and several connections are unclear. For example, “the refrigerator and vacuum cleaner increased in 1920 and remain stable in 2019” does not clearly explain which appliance changed when, while “In comparison” introduces a general contrast without developing it. Linking phrases such as “For instance” and “On the other hand” are present, but they do not consistently connect precise evidence to the main point. Organise the details by trend, and use clear comparisons between the series and selected years.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “ownership,” “fluctuated,” “decreased,” and “per week,” so the topic is generally clear. The range is nevertheless limited, and some word combinations are inaccurate or repetitive. “Increased in 1920” does not express the trend across the period; “rose from” or “climbed to” would be more precise. “Stabled” is not the appropriate form here; use “levelled off” or “remained stable.” The repeated use of “increased,” “rose,” and “decreased” also restricts variety. In addition, “electronic appliances” is less accurate than “electrical appliances,” and “the figure of electronic appliances were high” is awkward. Aim for precise trend verbs and natural collocations when describing changes and comparisons.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the main trends using simple sentences and make an attempt at a more complex contrast with “while.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. The opening should be “The charts compare,” not “The charts compares,” because the subject is plural. In “the refrigerator and vacuum cleaner increased … and remain stable,” the verb forms do not agree in tense, and the sentence does not clearly identify the time period. Other examples include “the 50 hours were in the start of 1920” and “it reduced 10 hours,” where sentence construction and verb patterns are faulty. Punctuation is also inconsistent, including the space before the full stop after “100%.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build sentences around clear subjects and verbs.

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