Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The Table illustrates the changes in the proportion of people in Great Britain living in different types of household from the year 1971 to 2007.

Overall, the proportion of couple with dependent children decreased with passing years. While, the couples with no children or lone parents Substantially decreased in percentages following the year 1971 to 2007. The proportion also rises for the one person living in Great Britain and also for the couples with no children.

In 1971, households comprising couples with dependent children shows the largest proportion , at 52%. It shows a decline of 47% in 1981 and gradually lowers to 36% in 2007. Similarly, Couples with non-dependent children shows a percentage of 10% In 1971, shows an increase by 1% which is 11% in 1991, but gradually decreases to 9% in 2001 and remains steady till 2007.

In contrast, couples living together with no children shows a significant increase in percentage. Showing a total of 19% in 1971, which increases to 20% in 1981, and a 23% in 1991. This proportion reaches a maximum of 25% in 2001 and remains the same in 2007. Similarly, the proportion for single living as one person also increases over time. Starting from 6% in 1971 which almost doubled to 12% in 2001 and remained equal till 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided relevant data points to support your summary. You covered the key categories and made appropriate comparisons between the start and end years. However, there is a significant factual error in your overview: you stated that 'couples with no children' substantially decreased, whereas the data shows they actually increased from 19% to 25%. Additionally, your description of the 'couples with dependent children' trend contains a minor inaccuracy regarding the 1981 figure. To improve, ensure that your overview accurately reflects the data trends and double-check your data extraction to avoid contradicting the provided table.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on different trends. You use some cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'Similarly' to link ideas. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, such as the transition between the overview and the first body paragraph. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing is precise would help improve the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'gradually', 'significant increase', and 'remains steady'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the proportion also rises for the one person living' (should be 'single-person households') and 'Substantially decreased' (which contradicts the data). You also have some minor issues with capitalization, such as 'Substantially' and 'Couples' in the middle of sentences. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for household types and ensure consistent, accurate word usage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'households comprising couples with dependent children shows' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'a 23% in 1991' (incorrect article usage). There are also issues with punctuation and capitalization throughout the text. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions.

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