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)

Traditional nuclear family structures—specifically couples with dependent children—experienced a substantial decline over the 36-year period.Conversely, alternative living arrangements, including one-person households, couples without children, and lone-parent families, saw considerable growth.Key Features and ComparisonsCouples with Dependent Children: This was the most common household type in 1971, accounting for 52% of the total. By 2007, it dropped steadily to 36%.One-Person Households: These doubled from just 6% in 1971 to 12% by 2001, where the figure stabilized through 2007.Lone Parents: This group started at a low of 4% in 1971 and tripled to reach 12% by the end of the timeframe in 2007.Couples with No Children: Representing 19% of the total in 1971, this demographic grew gradually by 6 percentage points to reach 25% by 2007.Non-Dependent Children: This category remained remarkably stable, hovering around 10% to 11% throughout the entire period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully highlights the main features and trends of household types in Great Britain from 1971 to 2007, such as the substantial decline in couples with dependent children from 52% to 36% and the growth in alternative living arrangements. Key comparisons are accurately drawn across multiple categories like one-person households and lone parents. However, a critical penalty must be applied for length: the response contains 138 words, which falls short of the mandatory 150-word minimum. This prevents the answer from fully satisfying all requirements of the task. Because of this under-length violation, the score is capped at a maximum of 5.5 despite the otherwise accurate reporting of data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a clear overall structure, beginning with a broad overview followed by bullet-like breakdown categories. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Conversely' and 'By 2007'. However, the physical formatting relies on an inline heading ('Key Features and Comparisons') right before starting the categorized list without proper paragraph breaks, which disrupts the flow and natural progression of a standard IELTS academic essay. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of formal paragraphing limits the score for cohesive management.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate and generally appropriate for describing statistical data and demographic trends. The student employs useful lexical items such as 'substantial decline', 'alternative living arrangements', 'stabilized', and 'remarkably stable'. There are no spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. While the range is sufficient to allow some precision, it lacks the broader flexibility or more sophisticated uncommon lexical choices required to reach a Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates good control over grammatical structures, incorporating a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively. Examples such as 'Traditional nuclear family structures—specifically couples with dependent children—experienced a substantial decline' show correct punctuation and syntactic awareness. Most sentences are grammatically accurate with proper tense usage suited to past data representation. The grammatical range is sufficient for a Band 7, as complex structures are used without systematic errors.

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