Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-02

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 illustrates between the changes in the ownership pf electronic appliances and the average time spent in households for housework purpose per week in a single country from 1920 till 2019.

Firstly, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners are the ones which has shown a great surge and then at a certain point they became constant. Furthermore, washing machines shows a gradual fluctuation in this regard.

Secondly, there is gradual decline in the number of hours of housework each week. the highest value is 50 hours a week in 1920 which gradually falls to 10 hours per week in 2019.

Overall, there is a increase in percentage of households and a decrease in number of hours spent on housework from 1920 to 2019.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall contrast: appliance ownership generally rose while housework time fell. You also note that refrigerators and vacuum cleaners eventually levelled off, which is relevant. However, the report is under the required 150 words, so it has limited space to select and explain the key features. Several important details are missing: refrigerators reached 100% by 1980, vacuum cleaners did so by 2000, and washing-machine ownership dipped slightly in 1980 before rising again. The description of washing machines as showing “a gradual fluctuation” is too vague to convey this pattern. The final housework figure is about 11 hours, rather than 10. Add accurate comparisons and specific figures to make the summary more complete and informative.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, comments on appliance ownership, a description of housework hours, and an overall summary. This gives the reader a basic sense of the information’s organisation. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical, with “Firstly” and “Secondly” dividing features that could be grouped more logically, and the overview comes at the end rather than clearly guiding the report. The relationship between the two charts is not developed beyond the general contrast. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the overview and the detailed comparisons, and connect related trends—for example, the rise in appliance ownership alongside the decline in housework time. Also use sentence-initial capitalisation consistently, as in “The highest value.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary such as “ownership,” “surge,” “gradual decline,” and “percentage,” and the main topic remains understandable. There is some attempt to vary wording, but several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing chart data. “Electronic appliances” is less accurate than “electrical appliances,” while “for housework purpose” and “a great surge” do not sound natural in this context. “Fluctuation” also suggests repeated variation, whereas washing-machine ownership mainly rises, with one modest dip. The spelling slip “pf” in the opening sentence is noticeable. Aim for precise trend language and natural collocations, such as “rose sharply,” “levelled off,” and “the number of hours spent on housework.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the overall meaning is generally clear. However, some grammatical errors reduce accuracy. The opening phrase “illustrates between the changes” has an incorrect structure; write “illustrates changes in.” In “the ones which has shown,” the plural subject requires “have,” and “washing machines shows” should be “washing machines show.” The phrase “there is a increase” needs the article “an,” and “the highest value is 50 hours a week in 1920 which gradually falls” has an unclear relative clause; separate the figure from the trend or use “which then fell.” Capitalise “The” after the full stop before “highest.” Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries while retaining varied sentence forms.

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