Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-17

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 following table depicts the change in some of the household types in Great Britain from 1971 to 2007. The reporting were done by decade starting from 1971 then 1981, 1991, 2001, and in last 2007.

The household types were mainly characterized in two parts such as one person and one-family households. Then the family households were further defined in two types couple and lone parent. While the couple category also has three types familes with no children, dependent children and non-dependent children.

In 1971 majority of households were couple mostly with dependent children around 52%, and the least were lone parent with only 4%. But by each decade passed percentage of couple households started decreasing such as households with dependent children declined from 52% in 1971 to just 36% in 2007. While one person and lone parent households saw and increase from 6% and 4% in 1971 to both of being 12% each in 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully reports the main features and trends from the table, identifying key categories such as couple households with dependent children and single-person households. An overview is present, and comparisons are made, such as contrasting the decline in couple households with dependent children (falling from 52% to 36%) against the rise in one-person and lone-parent households. However, some data points are slightly generalised or omitted, and the breakdown of categories could be more thoroughly synthesised. This aligns well with Band 6.0 descriptors, where the task is addressed with relevant main trends, though some details and developments could be more fully explored.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is arranged logically with an introduction, body paragraphs describing the categories, and a concluding trend summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices are functional, such as 'While', 'Then', and 'In 1971', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, allowing the reader to follow the progression of data from 1971 to 2007. This represents a solid Band 6.0 performance, displaying a coherent overall arrangement with clear logical organisation, although cohesion can occasionally be slightly basic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, using appropriate terms related to demographics and household structures, such as 'households', 'dependent children', 'lone parent', and 'percentage'. There are some awkward phrasings and word choice errors, such as 'The reporting were done' instead of 'The data was reported', and 'saw and increase' instead of 'saw an increase'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with occasional inaccuracy. This fits the Band 6.0 level, where an adequate range is deployed for the task, but lexical errors exist and occasionally interfere with precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as subordinate clauses using 'while' and 'as'. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors throughout, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The reporting were done'), missing articles, and preposition errors ('in last 2007' instead of 'in 2007'). Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded and the sentences remain mostly comprehensible. This corresponds to Band 6.0, which is characterised by a mix of simple and complex structures alongside some persistent grammatical inaccuracies.

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

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