Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-16
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 information about two trends, the ownership of electrical appliances and amount of spending hours in housework in between 1920 to 2019.
Overall the, in 1920 refrigerator substantially increased as well as the use of washing machines are dramatically increase before falling down at the end. Meanwhile, the spending hours on housework is gradually decreased with time.
Looking at the specific data, the percentage of refrigerator sales significantly increased up to 0 in 1920 and halted at 100 in 2000. Followed by the ownership of vaccum cleaner rose to 30 in 1920 to 100 in 2019.
Whereas the percentage of washing machine experienced dramatic growth up to 40 in 1920 before falling off to 75 in 2019.
On the other hand the amount of spending hours in housework, significantly decreased with time, 50 in 1920 to 10 in 2019.
In contrast initially in 1920 washing machine has highest percentage to end with lowest sales. Meanwhile Vaccum cleaner obtain the highest number of ownership throughout the period with constant growth.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify the broad contrast between rising appliance ownership and declining housework time, and you include figures for all four series. However, several key details are inaccurate or unclear, which limits how fully the charts are reported. For example, refrigerators began at about 2%, not 0%, and reached 100% by 1980 rather than 2000. Washing-machine ownership did not fall to 75%: it rose from 40% to 70%, dipped slightly to 65% in 1980, then increased to 75%. The overview also incorrectly says washing-machine use fell at the end and that vacuum cleaners had the highest ownership throughout. To improve, give a precise overview and select the main trends and turning points accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing appliance ownership and housework. Linking expressions such as “Meanwhile” and “On the other hand” show an attempt to connect comparisons. However, progression is not consistently clear: the final paragraph repeats and contradicts earlier claims, and “In contrast” does not establish a clear comparison. Some sentences also combine figures without explaining their relationship, such as the refrigerator description. Organise the details into clearer groups, avoid repeating the same trends, and use linking phrases only when the relationship between ideas is accurate. This would make the report easier to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “ownership,” “increased,” and “decreased,” and attempt more descriptive terms such as “significantly” and “dramatic.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive. “Percentage of refrigerator sales” does not describe household ownership, while “spending hours in housework” is an awkward phrase for time spent doing housework. “Vaccum” is misspelled, and “obtain the highest number of ownership” is not a natural expression. Aim for precise, conventional language for describing charts and vary verbs without overstating changes. These improvements would make your meaning clearer and more natural.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including an overview with “Meanwhile” and a contrast introduced by “Whereas.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentences contain errors that make relationships between ideas difficult to understand. Examples include “Overall the,” “the use of washing machines are dramatically increase,” and “washing machine has highest percentage,” which show problems with articles, agreement, and verb forms. The sentence beginning “Whereas the percentage…” is also incomplete, and punctuation around introductory phrases is unreliable. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense and agreement. More accurate simple structures would help you communicate the comparisons reliably.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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