Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-03

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 above the percentage of people living in different household types in Great Britain between 1971 and 2007.

Overall, the proportion of people living alone, couples without children, and lone parent families increased over the period. In contrast, the percentage of couples with dependent children declined steadily. Households with non dependent children changed only slightly.

In 1971, the largeest group was couples with dependent children accounting for 52 percent of people. However this figure fell consistently to 47 percent in 1981 41 percent in 1991 39 percent in 2001 and finally 36 percent in 2007. Despite this significant decrease, it remained the largest household type throughout the period.

On the other hand, the proportion of people living as couples without children rose from 19 percent in 1971 to 25 percentage in both 2001 and 2007. Similarly the percentage of one person households doubled frrom 6 to 12 percentage showing a gradual increase over the years. Lone parent families also experienced noticeable growth rising from 4 percent in 1971 to 12 percent by 2001, after which the figure remained unchanged in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively summarizes the main features of the table. You have identified the key trends, such as the decline in couples with dependent children and the growth in one-person households. The overview is clear, and the data is used appropriately to support the main points. You have made relevant comparisons between the categories. To reach a higher band, ensure that you avoid minor inaccuracies in data reporting; for instance, ensure that the figures cited are consistently accurate across all years mentioned. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a clear focus on the significant changes over the 36-year period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the data effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'However', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different trends. While the flow is generally smooth, some of the punctuation around the data points (e.g., the excessive spacing and missing commas in the third paragraph) slightly disrupts the cohesion. Improving the consistency of punctuation would enhance the professional presentation of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'illustrates', 'proportion', 'declined steadily', and 'noticeable growth'. The terminology is appropriate for an academic report. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as '25 percentage' instead of '25 percent' and 'largeest' (spelling error). Additionally, 'frrom' contains a typo. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on precision in word forms and proofreading for spelling will help improve your score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You have successfully used complex sentences to contrast trends, such as 'Despite this significant decrease, it remained the largest household type'. There are some grammatical slips, such as the missing preposition in 'The table illustrates above' (should be 'The table above illustrates') and inconsistent punctuation. While these errors are present, they are not frequent enough to impede communication. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures and ensure that punctuation is used consistently to support the clarity of your sentences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.