Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-14
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 illustrate the comparison of ownership of home appliances and hours spent during household works in one country between 1920 and 2019.
Overall, in 2019 household percentage experienced highest figure and it had lowest graph during 1920. The numbers of hours per week showed the highest ratio in 1920 and it decreased in 2019.
To begin with, in 1920 the figure declined to 0% for refrigerator and vacuum cleaner recorder the figure at 30% while the proportion for washing machine was 40%. However, by 1940 the graph gradually increased for these appliances at relatively same level that is 50%, 55% and 60%. The gap widened during 1960 for refrigerator which was at 90% and usage of vacuum cleaner and washing machine levelled of. The chart remained stable for vacuum cleaner and refrigerator in 2019 at 100% while washing machine usage decreased. Moreover, the working hours recorded highest proportion during 1920 at 50% and it fell down during 2019 at almost 11%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broad contrast between rising appliance ownership and falling housework hours, and include several relevant figures, such as washing machines at 40% in 1920 and refrigerators at 90% in 1960. However, the overview is unclear: “household percentage experienced highest figure” does not specify which appliances or what the main overall pattern was. Some details are inaccurate or incomplete. Refrigerators were about 2%, not 0%, in 1920; by 2019, washing-machine ownership had risen to 75%, rather than decreased. The account also omits the final 100% figures for refrigerators and vacuum cleaners and gives little detail on the steady decline in housework hours. A clearer overview and more accurate selection of key comparisons would strengthen the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about appliance ownership and housework hours. Time markers such as “in 1920,” “by 1940,” and “during 1960” help the reader follow the timeline. However, progression is uneven: the appliance trends are grouped together without consistently distinguishing the three items, and the final sentence shifts abruptly to housework. Some linking words do not show the intended relationship; for example, “However” introduces the 1940 figures without a clear contrast. The overview is also difficult to interpret, which weakens the organisation of the whole report. Use separate, logically ordered comparisons and clearer links between the two charts.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “proportion,” “figure,” “increased,” and “decreased,” and make an effort to vary your wording. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. “Household works” is not a natural way to describe the activity, while “vacuum cleaner recorder the figure” is unclear. “Highest ratio” is also unsuitable for describing the number of hours, and “usage” suggests use rather than household ownership. Aim for precise chart language and natural collocations, such as “the percentage of households owning…” and “hours spent on housework.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a time clause in “However, by 1940…” and a comparison introduced by “while.” Nevertheless, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes obscure the intended meaning. For example, “in 2019 household percentage experienced highest figure” lacks clear sentence structure and articles, while “the figure declined to 0% for refrigerator” uses an unsuitable verb form for the data. There are also problems with agreement and tense, as in “the chart remained stable … while washing machine usage decreased,” which does not accurately express the trend. Work on complete sentence patterns, articles, plural forms, and consistent past-tense descriptions of the historical data.
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