Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-05

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 tabulated data reveals the shift in different forms of household in Great Britain categorized by types of people in household and type of household in a 36 year period, starting from 1971.

Overall, it is crystal clear that share of households with a lone parent had the biggest growth, with it being tripled in 36 years. Whereas, the proportion of households of couple with dependent children had the largest reduction in size.

In 1971, only 4% of households had a lone parent but this share tripled in 2001 and stayed same in 2007. Households with only one person also had a significant growth from 1971 to 2007 as its share doubled in the given timeframe. The share of households with couples who had no offspring had a gradual rise till 2001 after which it leveled off.

One-family households with couple who had dependent or non dependent children were the only categories which showed a decrease in proportion. Couple with dependent children accounted for over 50% of the households in 1971 but it was reduced to 36 % in 2007. Interestingly, the share of households with couple who had non-dependent increased from 10 % in 1981 to 11% in 1991 but then fell to 9% in 2001.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all categories and made relevant comparisons, such as contrasting the growth of lone-parent households with the decline in couple-with-dependent-children households. However, there are some inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, you stated that the share of lone-parent households 'tripled in 2001 and stayed same in 2007', but the data shows a slight increase from 2001 to 2007. Additionally, the description of the 'couple with non-dependent children' category is slightly confusing in its presentation. Overall, the response is well-structured and addresses the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Whereas', 'In 1971', and 'Interestingly' to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different trends. While the flow is generally good, some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion. For example, the transition between the general overview and the specific data points is clear, but the connection between the final paragraph's points could be smoother to avoid a list-like feel.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'tabulated data', 'given timeframe', and 'leveled off' are used appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'share of households with a lone parent had the biggest growth' (which is acceptable but could be more precise) and 'couple with dependent children' (which should be pluralized as 'couples'). You attempt some less common vocabulary, which is good, but there is room for more variety to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, particularly with articles and pluralization, such as 'share of households of couple' (should be 'a couple') and 'couple with dependent children' (should be 'couples with dependent children'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and phrasing issues, such as 'stayed same' (should be 'stayed the same'). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the errors do not impede communication. To improve, focus on consistent article usage and plural agreement.

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.