Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-29

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 compares the percentage of households with electrical appliances and numbers of hours of housework per week between the year 1920 and 2019.

The chart shows rise rapidly in washing machine and vaccum cleaner whereas refrigerator shows moderate change. While in other chart, the number of hours reduces with time.

In 1920, washing machine is highest with 40%. Vacuum cleaner is 30% and refrigerator is very low with 2%. In 1940, all three go up. Washing machine 60%, refrigerator 55% and vacuum 50%.

In 1960, refrigerator is highest 90%. Washing machine and vacuum cleaner is both 70%. Then in 1980, refrigerator is 100%. Vacuum cleaner is 90% and washing machine is 64%. In 2000 and 2019, refrigerator and vacuum is both 100% and washing machine is 70% to 75%.

The second graph is about housework. In 1920, it is 50 hours per week. In 1940, it go down to 35 hours. In 1960, it is 20 hours. In 1980 and 2000, it is 15 hours. In 2019, it is 10 hours. So when appliances go up, housework go down.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover both charts and identify the main overall relationship: appliance ownership generally increased while housework hours declined. The response also includes several relevant figures, such as refrigerators rising from 2% to full ownership and housework falling from 50 to around 10 hours. However, the overview is brief and not fully accurate: refrigerators do not show merely “moderate change”; they rise sharply before reaching 100%. Some details are also imprecise, including the 1980 washing-machine figure (about 65%) and the final housework figure (about 11 hours). Develop a clearer overview that compares the appliances’ different patterns, including the washing-machine dip and the later plateau in housework.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a short overview, and separate paragraphs describing appliance ownership and housework. Chronological sequencing makes the figures relatively easy to follow, and “In 1920,” “In 1940,” and “Then in 1980” help signal changes. However, the progression is somewhat list-like, with repeated year-by-year statements rather than grouping related trends. The transition “While in other chart” is awkward, and the final sentence makes a broad comparison without developing it. Improve cohesion by grouping the refrigerator and vacuum-cleaner rises, then contrasting these with the washing machine’s fluctuation and the decline in housework. Use clearer links between these comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “households,” “appliances,” and “hours per week,” so the reader can understand the subject and most comparisons. However, the range of trend language is limited and repetitive: “go up,” “go down,” “highest,” and “very low” are used where more precise reporting expressions would help. Some word choices are also inaccurate or unnatural, such as “shows rise rapidly” and “moderate change” for the refrigerator’s substantial increase. There is a spelling error in “vaccum,” and “both 100%” is not a natural way to describe the two series. Build a wider set of accurate verbs and comparison phrases, and check spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most of the information remains understandable, and you attempt some longer structures, including “While in other chart, the number of hours reduces with time” and “So when appliances go up, housework go down.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent. Several sentences omit articles or auxiliaries, as in “The chart shows rise rapidly,” while “In 1940, all three go up” and “it go down” use incorrect verb forms. Subject–verb agreement is also weak in “washing machine and vacuum cleaner is both 70%” and “housework go down.” The response relies heavily on short, simple sentences, with limited accurate complex structures. Practise past-tense reporting and agreement, and combine related figures using controlled comparative clauses.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.