Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The table illustrates the percentages of people living in Great Britain between 1971 and 2007.

Overall, the proportion of people living in households with dependent children declined considerably over period, while the percentages of one-person households, couples without children and lone-parent families generally increased. The figure for non-dependent children remained relatively stable.

In 1971, the largest proportion of people, at 52%, lived in couple households with dependent children. However, this figure fell steadily to 47% in 1981 and 41% in 1991, before reaching 365 in 2007. In contrast, the percentage of people in couple households without children rose from 91% in 1971 to 25% in 2001, where it remained unchanged in 2007.

The proportion of people living alone doubled from 6% in 1971 to 12% in 2001, and this figure stayed the same in 2007. Similarly, lone-parent households experienced a notable increase, rising from just 4% in 1971 to 10% in 1991 and then 12% in both 2001 and 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response effectively identifies the main trends and makes relevant comparisons. You have successfully highlighted the decline in households with dependent children and the growth in other categories. However, there is a significant data error in the third paragraph where you wrote '365' instead of '36%', which is a major inaccuracy in reporting the data. Additionally, the figures for 'couples without children' in 1971 were cited as '91%', which appears to be a typo for '9%'. These inaccuracies in data transcription negatively impact the task achievement score, as the information provided is not a reliable summary of the source material.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on specific trends. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', and 'Similarly' helps to guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different household types. The progression of ideas is clear, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between sentences is even more fluid and that the data points are referenced with absolute precision to avoid confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the trends, using terms like 'declined considerably', 'remained relatively stable', and 'notable increase'. The language is generally appropriate for an academic report. However, the errors in data transcription (e.g., '365' and '91%') suggest a lack of attention to detail. While the vocabulary used is functional and accurate in terms of describing trends, there is limited use of less common or more sophisticated lexical items that would elevate the response to a higher band. Focus on using more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' to show greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The table illustrates...' and '...while the percentages of one-person households... generally increased.' Most sentences are grammatically sound, and punctuation is used correctly. There are very few grammatical errors, and the control of tense is consistent with the requirements of the task. The errors present are mostly related to data transcription rather than grammatical structure. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice or participle clauses, to demonstrate a more advanced command of English grammar.

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