Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The line chart illustrates the changes in proportion of households with electrical appliances and number of hours of housework per household in one nation between 1920 and 2019.

At first glance, In 1920 the percentage of households in washing machine was 40%, which was highest in the beginning and percentage of refrigerator and vacuum cleaner was 5% and 30% respectively. By the year 1940, these figure reached to 60%, 55%, and 50%. From 1940 to 1980 there were some fluctuations. The figure of Washing rose to 55% which was slightly grew to 60% in 1960. Similarly, the figure of refrigerator and vacuum cleaner climbed to 90% and 70% in 1960 and then rose to 100% and 90% in 1980. In the year 2000, these figures of households accounted by 70%, 100% and 100%, respectively. From the year 2000 to 2019 the percentage of washing machine climbed to 70%, vacuum cleaner and refrigerator were represented by 100%.

Turning to another chart, the number of hours per week was 50 in 1920. By the year 1940, these hours declined to 35%. In the year 1960, the number of hours per week dropped to 20, from 1980 to 2000 it was remain at 15, by the year 2019 these hours declined to 10.

Overall, it is clear that there were some fluctuations in the figure of households with electrical appliances. Percentage of refrigerator was highest when reached to 2019, but this figure was lower in the beginning. In another chart, the number of hours per week declined continuously from 1920 to 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover both charts and identify the broad contrast: appliance ownership generally rose while housework time fell. Several key figures are reported accurately, including the 1940 values and the refrigerator and vacuum-cleaner levels in 1960 and 1980. However, some details are misreported: the refrigerator figure in 1920 is about 2%, not 5%; washing-machine ownership is about 65% in 1980, not 55%, and reaches 75% in 2019, not 70%. The overview also says appliance ownership showed “some fluctuations,” although the main pattern is upward, with only a modest dip in washing-machine ownership. The housework trend is clear, but the final value is about 11 hours. More accurate selection and a sharper overview would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on appliance ownership, a paragraph on housework, and a concluding overview. Time markers such as “By the year 1940” and “Turning to another chart” help readers follow the sequence, and the two charts are kept distinct. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some effective progression. However, the appliance paragraph moves through years in a way that can be confusing: “From 1940 to 1980” is followed by figures for 1960 and then 1980, while some later comparisons repeat information. The overview comes after the detailed account and repeats broad points rather than synthesising them. Use clearer grouping by trend and avoid repeating figures to make progression more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “declined,” “climbed,” “accounted for,” and “respectively,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate. For example, “percentage of households in washing machine” and “these figures of households accounted by” are not natural ways to describe ownership, while “the figure of Washing” is imprecise and inconsistently capitalised. “These hours declined to 35%” also uses the wrong unit for hours. Aim for precise phrases such as “the proportion of households owning…” and “housework fell to 35 hours per week.” More accurate collocations will make the comparisons clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the reader can usually understand the intended comparisons. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently, including in basic sentence patterns and verb forms. Examples include “these figure reached to,” “which was slightly grew,” and “from 1980 to 2000 it was remain at 15.” The opening of the overview, “At first glance, In 1920,” also has faulty punctuation and capitalisation. There are problems with articles and sentence construction in phrases such as “percentage of households in washing machine.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build comparisons with reliable patterns, for example, “The figure rose to…” or “It remained stable at…”. This will improve clarity as well as grammatical control.

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

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