Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-27

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 under illustrates the developments in ownership of electrical goods and the number of time spent doing domestic workin residences in one country between 1920 and 2019.

The first chart shows the percentage of households with electrical intruments and the instruments are washing machine, refrigerator and vacuum cleaner. In 1920 washing machine had a household percentage of 40 and with the passage of time it slightly icreased till 1960 and after that it experienced a slightly decrease and till 2019 it reached at approx 75%. On the other hand the household percentage of vacuum cleaner was 30 at 1920 and it gradually icreased with the passage of time and in 2000 it reached at 100% and remained at 100 till 2019. In 1920 refrigerator had a zero percent household and with the passage of time it experienced a huge icrease and in 1980 it reached at 100% and remained at 100 till 2019.

The second chart shows that numer of hours of domestic work per week per household between 1920 and 2019. In 1920 the number of hours per week were 50 and with the time period it gradually decreased and till 2019 it reached at 10 hours per week.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall patterns: ownership of the appliances generally rose, while weekly housework hours fell. You also report several key figures, including washing machines at 40% in 1920 and refrigerators reaching 100% by 1980. However, coverage is uneven: the refrigerator’s starting point is given as zero rather than approximately 2%, and the washing-machine rise to 1960 and subsequent dip are described only vaguely. The housework trend is summarised without the important intermediate figures, and the response does not compare the appliance trends clearly. An overview explicitly highlighting that refrigerators and vacuum cleaners reached full ownership, while housework declined sharply, would make the main features clearer and more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: it introduces the charts, discusses appliance ownership, and then turns to housework. This makes the information easy to follow at a basic level. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “with the passage of time” help connect ideas, but the latter is repeated and sometimes makes the account sound mechanical. The appliance paragraph also moves through the series one by one without a clear comparison of their different trajectories. Use a distinct overview paragraph, then group related trends—for example, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners reaching 100%—and vary linking expressions. This would strengthen progression and make relationships between the figures clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing charts, including “percentage,” “gradually decreased,” “reached,” and “remained at 100%.” These choices communicate the broad trends, but the range is limited and some expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “number of time,” “electrical intruments,” and “household percentage.” Spelling errors, including “icreased” and “numer,” are noticeable and reduce precision. Aim for standard chart language such as “the number of hours,” “ownership of appliances,” and “the proportion of households.” You can also use more precise trend verbs, for example “rose,” “fell,” “levelled off,” and “fluctuated,” while checking spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt longer sentences with time clauses, such as “with the passage of time it gradually decreased and till 2019 it reached at 10 hours per week,” alongside simpler statements. The meaning is generally understandable, but some sentence patterns contain grammatical errors. For example, “The charts under illustrates” has subject–verb disagreement, and “washing machine had a household percentage of 40” is missing an article and has an awkward grammatical construction. In “the number of hours per week were 50,” the singular subject requires “was.” Articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries also need attention. Practise accurate comparisons and past-tense reporting, and use a mix of shorter, controlled sentences and more complex structures.

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