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)

There are different household type in Britain, and if we want to have a look and study what those numbers are we can check on the table here.

From 1971 to 2007, we can get pretty good idea what the household looked like.

Starting from 1971 one person house hold was 6%, followed by non dependent children which was 10%,No Children was 19% and dependent children was 52% ranking at number one. and lone parents with least only 4%.

In year 1981 one person was 8%, No children was 20%, dependent children decreased by 3% making it 47%, non dependent was still same 10%. And lone parents increase to 2%.

In 1991. One person household became jumped to 11%,No children increased to 23%, dependent children reduced to 41%, non dependent children increased to 11%, And lone parents to 6%.

In 2001 dependent children household was 39%, followed by no children 25%, followed by lone parents and One person which is 12%, and non dependent children to only 9%.

In 2007 last year in the table, One person household remained same 12%, same number goes for no children which is 25% from last year, dependent children 36%,and non dependent 9%.

From this table we analyze that people are preferring to live alone than being in a family.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, but it lacks a clear overview. The final sentence attempts a summary, but it is an overgeneralization not fully supported by the data provided. The report is essentially a list of figures for each year, which makes it repetitive and lacks meaningful comparison or synthesis of the trends. To improve, you should group the data by trends (e.g., categories that increased vs. those that decreased) rather than listing every year chronologically. The inclusion of specific data points is accurate, but the lack of analytical grouping prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized chronologically by year, which provides a basic structure. However, the paragraphing is poor; each year is treated as a separate, short paragraph, which disrupts the flow. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link ideas; the text relies heavily on repetitive sentence structures (e.g., 'In year X... was Y%'). The use of referencing is weak, and the transition between sentences is mechanical. To improve, use linking words like 'In contrast,' 'Conversely,' or 'Meanwhile' to connect related ideas and group your analysis into logical paragraphs based on trends.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic verbs like 'was,' 'increased,' and 'decreased.' There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'last year in the table' (referring to 2007) and 'same number goes for.' The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic information, but it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. To improve, try to use more sophisticated synonyms for change, such as 'fluctuated,' 'remained stable,' or 'experienced a significant rise.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('in 1971 one person house hold'), incorrect verb forms ('lone parents increase to 2%'), and punctuation errors (e.g., 'In 1991. One person...'). The sentence structure is often fragmented or awkward, such as 'same number goes for no children which is 25% from last year.' While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of errors is noticeable and impacts the overall fluency of the writing.

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

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