Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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)

cambridge writing task 1

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The line graph illustrates the changes in ownership of electrical appliances and amount of time spent doing housework in household appliances in one country from 1920 to 2019.

Overall, it is clear that the percentage of refrigerator has increased significantly throughout the period. While both vacuum cleaner and washing machine have showed a dramatic rise.

On the one side, the proportion of household of refrigerator has increased dramatically, which start 0% in 1920 but in 1940 it rose sharply and reached 55%. After that refrigerator has also climed and reached 100% in 1980. So, refrigerator has same at the end.

On the other hand, washing machine and vacuum cleaner started at 30% and 40% in 1920. By contrast, both of these have surged and reached 70% in 1960. After this achievement, vacuum cleaner has increased dramatically and reached 100% in 2019 while washing machine showed fluctuation between 1960 and 2019 respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response3.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the broad rise in appliance ownership, but the response does not adequately summarise both charts: the hours of housework are omitted entirely, and there is no clear overview comparing appliance growth with the decline in housework. Several details are also inaccurate or unclear. Refrigerators began at about 2%, not 0%; washing machines began at 40% and vacuum cleaners at 30%, but these are reversed; and washing-machine ownership did not fluctuate broadly, ending at 75% after a modest dip and recovery. The response is also below the 150-word minimum, with 136 words counted and 15 prompt words excluded. Include the second chart, correct the comparisons, and develop the key trends to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” help signal the stages of the discussion. However, progression is weakened because the overview repeats appliance increases without identifying the contrasting fall in housework, and the second body paragraph groups two appliances without clearly distinguishing their different end points. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly the repeated “After that” and “After this achievement.” Organise the details by clear trends, use comparisons to connect figures, and ensure each paragraph contributes to a complete account of both charts.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of trend vocabulary, including “increased significantly,” “rose sharply,” “surged,” and “fluctuation,” and the general meaning is usually clear. There are, however, several inaccurate or unnatural choices that reduce precision: “the percentage of refrigerator” and “proportion of household of refrigerator” do not express appliance ownership naturally, while “has same at the end” is unclear. “Dramatic” and “increased” are also repeated, and “achievement” is not an appropriate description of a data point. Aim for accurate collocations such as “the proportion of households owning refrigerators” and vary trend language while keeping it precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a relative clause in “which start 0%” and a contrast structure beginning “While both…”. Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “which start” needs a past-tense verb, and “While both vacuum cleaner and washing machine have showed…” is an incomplete clause and has an incorrect verb form. There are also agreement and article problems in phrases such as “the percentage … has increased” when referring to plural appliances, and “washing machine showed fluctuation.” Use complete clauses, check subject–verb agreement and past-tense forms, and proofread articles and plurals.

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