Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-13

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 the percentage distribution of people living in different household and family types in Great Britain, spanning from 1971 to 2007.

Overall, a noticeable trend is that households comprising couples with dependent children declined steadily throughout the period. In contrast, percentage of one person households, couples without children, and lone parent family increased, indicating a significant change in family structure over the 36-year period.

In 1971, couples with dependent children accounted for largest proportion of households, at 52%. However, this figure fell consistently, reaching 47% in 1981, 41% in 1991, 39% in 2001, and finally 36% in 2007. In contrast, couples with no children experienced gradual increase in percentage, from 19% in 1971 to 20% in 1981 and 23% in 1991, before reaching 25% in 2001 that remained same after that. Meanwhile, the proportion of couples with non-dependent children witnessed a slight fluctuations between 9% and 11%.

Similarly, the percentage of one person households

doubled from 6% in 1971 to 12% in 2001, that remain unchanged in 2007. Likewise, lone person households figure surged from 6% in 1971 to 10% in 1991, before reaching at 12% in both years, 2001 and 2007

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all main features of the table, providing a clear overview and appropriate data selection spanning the years from 1971 to 2007. The student correctly identifies that couples with dependent children declined over the period, whilst other household types generally increased. Key data points are cited to support these descriptions, such as couples with dependent children falling from 52% in 1971 to 36% in 2007, and one person households doubling. Comparisons are made where relevant, fulfilling all requirements of Task 1 effectively. The response meets the criteria for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response features a clear overall progression, moving from a general introductory overview into detailed body paragraphs analyzing specific trends. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related categories. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', and 'Meanwhile' are utilized to connect ideas logically, though there are minor mechanical referencing issues, such as an incomplete sentence fragment near the end ('Similarly, the percentage of one person households...'). Despite this slight interruption in the flow, the logical organization and progression remain clear throughout, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task, employing terms like 'percentage distribution', 'significant change', 'proportion', and 'fluctuations'. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'surged' and 'gradual increase'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'lone person households figure' instead of 'lone parent' or similar phrasing, and minor phrasing repetitions. These errors do not impede communication, allowing the response to comfortably secure a Band 6.5 or solid 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and comparative structures (e.g., 'households comprising couples with dependent children declined steadily'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present, such as 'percentage of one person households' missing an article, 'before reaching at 12%', and an incomplete final sentence fragment. While the majority of sentences are understandable, these recurring minor errors in grammar and punctuation place the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

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

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