Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-20

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 6.0)

The table illustrates changes in different types of households in Great Britain between 1971 and 2007.

Overall, the proportions of people living alone and in couples without children increased, whereas the proportion living in households with dependent children declined considerably. The figure for households with non-dependent children remained relatively stable, while the proportion of people in lone-parent households increased steadily before levelling off from 2001 onwards.

In 1971, couple living with the dependent children were the highest at 52%. By the year 2007 the dependency decreased to just 36% which is the lowest and 16% less. Couple with no children were just 19% but the proportion increased and there was gain of 6% by 2001 and the change was stable till 2007.

There was increase in the number of lone parent and one person between the year 1971 and 2001 but it got stable after 2001. There is only slight change in couple with non-dependent children while the number either slightly increased by 1991 then the chart shows slight decrease by 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the data and provides a clear overview. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the decline in households with dependent children and the rise in single-person households. However, the analysis of the data is sometimes imprecise. For instance, stating 'the dependency decreased to just 36% which is the lowest and 16% less' is slightly confusing in its phrasing. Additionally, some data points could be integrated more smoothly to support the comparisons. To reach a higher band, ensure that all figures are presented with absolute clarity and that the comparisons between categories are more explicitly linked to the overall trends observed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by household type. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'In 1971,' and 'By the year 2007' helps guide the reader through the data. However, the transition between the second and third body paragraphs is somewhat abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the sentences within paragraphs, rather than relying on simple chronological markers. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportions,' 'considerably,' 'levelling off,' and 'stable.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'the dependency decreased' (referring to the household type rather than the state of dependency) and 'there was gain of 6%.' While these do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your report. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that nouns and adjectives are used in the correct context to describe statistical changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'couple living with the dependent children were' (should be 'couples living with dependent children were') and 'There was increase' (missing an article: 'an increase'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances where articles are missing or misused. The errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to enhance accuracy.

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

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