Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The table below shows the change in some household types in Great Britain from 1971 to 2007.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

PEOPLE IN HOUSEHOLDS BY TYPE OF HOUSEHOLD AND FAMILY

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given table depicts the information about various categories of household types live in a family in Britain and the time period between 1971 to 2007.

Overall, the percentages of households was significantly increased after three decades and in the case of solo person and couple have no child. However, the ratio was reversed in dependent and non-dependent children.

To begin with, according to the table, the percentage of one member of the house was observed in initial year. While, in 1981, the percentage slightly rose. In addition to, one-family members couples having no children were very low, which was 19% only. Additionally, the dependent children ratio was the highest ratio noticed among the other years. But after ten years, the amount of dependent children couples were decreased. Moreover, the non-dependent, lone parent ratio was 10 and 4% respectively. In contrast in 1981, the ratio of the non-dependent children was maintained and lone parent had slightly rose.

Furthermore, As per the table, the years 1991,2001,2007 the amount of solo member of the family was 11%,12% and 12% respectively. In addition to, the ratio of couple have no child was 23% in 1991. Meanwhile, after ten years it was increased 2% and maintained in 2007 as well. Additionally , the couples of dependent children gradually decreased over the period of time. Lastly, non-dependent child and lone parent ratio was 9 and 12% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identify trends, the reporting of specific figures is occasionally confusing or inaccurate, such as when you state 'the percentage of one member of the house was observed in initial year' without providing the actual data point. The overview is present but lacks clarity regarding the overall trends, as the phrasing 'the percentages of households was significantly increased' is vague. To improve, ensure you clearly contrast the categories that increased (e.g., one-person households) with those that decreased (e.g., couples with dependent children) using precise data points from the table.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow between sentences is often mechanical. You use cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast', but they are sometimes used incorrectly or do not accurately reflect the relationship between the ideas. For instance, 'In contrast in 1981' is used where a simple addition or transition would be more appropriate. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs is disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of the data over the specified time period.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'ratio' and 'percentage' throughout the text. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the amount of dependent children couples were decreased' (amount is used for uncountable nouns, and the verb usage is incorrect). To reach a higher band, you should use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'experienced a downward trend', and ensure correct usage of nouns and verbs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the percentages of households was significantly increased') and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'various categories of household types live in a family'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage and spacing around numbers. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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