Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-23

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 4.5)

The chart illustrates that how electrical appliances ownership and amount of time was spent doing housework in households in a specific country from 1920 to 2019. Overall, it can be seen that refrigerator and vacuum cleaner rapidly increased, whereas washing machine was in the middle and after that it fluctuated.

Initially, the graph represents that number of owners of refregerator got high that started from 0 and dramatically reached to 90 then eventually became 100, whereas vacuum cleaner and washing machine number started from 40 and 30 then stopped at 60 and 50 in 1940 but vaccum cleaner number went up by 100.

Meanwhile washing machine's number fluctuated and in 2019 it was approximately 73.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the broad rise in appliance ownership and the decline in housework, but it does not adequately summarise the task. It gives no figures or trend description for housework, and the overview that the washing-machine trend was “in the middle” is unclear. Several details are inaccurate: refrigerators began at about 2%, not 0, and reached 100% by 1980; vacuum-cleaner ownership rose from about 30% to 100% by 2000, rather than stopping at 50% in 1940 and then simply going up to 100%. The washing-machine figure was about 75% in 2019. The response is also 35 words below the required minimum, leaving important features undeveloped. Include both charts and select accurate comparisons across the period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by a paragraph of details, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Initially,” and “Meanwhile” show an attempt to guide the reader. However, the response has no clear progression through the main features, and the final paragraph combines several appliance trends without organising them clearly. “Initially” does not introduce a clear starting-point comparison, while “Meanwhile” introduces a washing-machine point that is not developed. The housework series is omitted, so the account feels incomplete as well as brief. Group the information logically—for example, describe the appliance trends together, then contrast them with the steady fall in housework hours—and use references and transitions that make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “electrical appliances,” “fluctuated,” and “approximately,” and attempts to describe change with “rapidly increased” and “dramatically reached.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “number of owners” for percentages of households and “washing machine was in the middle.” Spelling errors in “refregerator” and “vaccum” also reduce accuracy. Use precise terms for the data and vary trend language: for example, “the proportion of households with refrigerators” and “ownership rose steadily.” Check spelling of key chart labels, and avoid vague phrases when a direct comparison or percentage can be stated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few complex structures, including a contrast with “whereas” and a relative clause in “that started from 0,” but control is uneven. The opening phrase “illustrates that how” incorrectly combines two clause patterns, and “amount of time was spent” does not form a correct description of the chart. In “refrigerator and vacuum cleaner rapidly increased,” the subject and verb do not express the intended change in ownership clearly. The long sentence beginning “Initially” also joins several trends in a confusing structure. Use straightforward, accurate sentences first, such as “Refrigerator ownership rose from about 2% to 100%.” Then add controlled comparisons with “while” or “whereas,” checking articles, plurals, and verb forms.

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

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