Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-19

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 7.5)

The table illustrates the proportion of five different types of households in Great Britain from 1971 and 2007.

Overall, the percentage of one-person households, couples without children, and lone parents went up, while the figure for couples with dependent children went down significantly. Couples with dependent children were the most common household type in all years.

In 1971, couples with dependent children accounted for 52% of all households, which was the highest. This figure dropped to 47% in 1981, 41% in 1991 and finally to 36% in 2007.

One-person households grew from 6% in 1971 to 12% in 2007. Lone parent families also showed a similar increase, from 4% to 12% over the 36-year period.

The percentage of couples with no children increased from 19% in 1971 to 25% in 2007. In contrast, households of couples with non-dependent children remained stable at around 10%.

To conclude, traditional families with dependent children decreased, but they were still the largest group, while smaller households like one-person and lone parents became more common.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You selected relevant features, such as the decline in couples with dependent children and the growth in one-person households, and supported these with accurate data points from the table. The comparison between categories is well-handled, particularly in the final paragraph. To reach a higher band, ensure you consistently include all categories mentioned in the prompt; while you covered most, ensure that the 'couples with non-dependent children' category is integrated more fluidly into the overall analysis rather than appearing as an isolated point at the end.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. Each paragraph has a central focus, which helps the reader follow the progression of the data. You used cohesive devices such as 'In 1971', 'In contrast', and 'To conclude' effectively to link ideas. The flow is natural and the paragraphing is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. To improve further, you could experiment with more varied cohesive devices to connect sentences within paragraphs, rather than relying primarily on time-based transitions.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'accounted for', 'remained stable', and 'proportion of' are used accurately. The vocabulary is appropriate for the task and allows for some precision. To move into the higher bands, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items related to data trends, such as 'a marginal increase', 'a downward trend', or 'fluctuated minimally'. Your current vocabulary is functional and accurate, but adding a wider variety of descriptive verbs and adverbs would enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you demonstrate a good control of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are error-free, which makes the text easy to read. You correctly used past tense verbs to describe the historical data. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. To achieve a higher band, aim to incorporate a greater variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice constructions or relative clauses, to demonstrate more flexibility in your writing. For example, instead of 'One-person households grew...', you could use 'A growth was observed in one-person households, which rose from...'.

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

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