Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-12
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 5.0)
The two line charts illustrate changes in the percentage of households owning three electrcial appliances and the number of hours spent on housework per week in one country between 1920 and 2019.
Overall, ownership of all three countries increased, with refrigerators and vaccum cleaners becoming universal at the end of the period. Meanwhile, the time spent doing housework declined considerably. Washing machine ownership showed the smallest overall increase and experienced a slight fall.
In 1920, washing machines were
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response identifies the broad trends accurately: appliance ownership generally rose, refrigerator and vacuum-cleaner ownership reached 100%, and housework time fell. It also notes that washing-machine ownership increased least and dipped slightly. However, the report stops just as it begins the first detail paragraph (“In 1920, washing machines were”), so it gives no supporting figures or comparisons and does not adequately summarise the charts. The required minimum of 150 words is not met; at 78 words, the response is 72 words short. To develop the report, complete the details with key starting and ending values and notable changes, such as refrigerators rising from about 2% to 100% and housework falling from 50 to 11 hours per week.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is a recognisable structure: an introduction is followed by an overview, and “Overall” clearly signals the main trends. The ideas within the overview are also grouped sensibly. However, the response ends with an unfinished sentence, leaving the body without any developed data or comparisons and making the progression feel incomplete. The link “Meanwhile” appropriately contrasts appliance ownership with housework time, but the report needs a complete detail paragraph, ideally organised by appliance trends and the housework series. Use clear references and comparisons to connect the figures rather than leaving the reader with an abrupt ending.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for communicating the main trends, with useful expressions such as “ownership,” “declined considerably,” “universal,” and “slight fall.” These choices show some range beyond basic descriptions. However, there are spelling errors in “electrcial” and “vaccum,” and “all three countries” is an inaccurate word choice because the charts concern three appliances, not countries. The short response also offers little opportunity to demonstrate a broader range of precise data-reporting language. Check spelling carefully and use terms such as “appliances” or “devices” accurately. You could also vary descriptions of change with expressions such as “rose steadily,” “levelled off,” and “fell to.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The opening sentence uses a clear complex structure, and the overview includes a well-formed contrast: “Meanwhile, the time spent doing housework declined considerably.” Most of the complete sentences are easy to understand, and the past-tense reporting is generally appropriate. The main grammatical weakness is the unfinished final sentence, “In 1920, washing machines were,” which has no complement and leaves the thought incomplete. The response is too brief to show a sustained range of sentence forms. Complete each sentence with the relevant information, and use a mix of simple comparisons and complex clauses—for example, “Although washing-machine ownership dipped in 1980, it rose again by 2019.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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