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 tabular representation illustrates the information related to the changes that happened in some household tyes in Great Britain from 1971 to 2007. Moreover, data is given in the form of percentage.

Overall, The couples with dependent children decrease with time. However, couple with no children number increased with upcoming years and couple wih non - dependent children number remain almost same.

In 1971, people who live alone were 6% and number increased gradually which reached 11% till 1991. Moreover, from 2001 to 2007 number reached 12%. Information regarding one - family household was unknown. In 1971, number for lone parents was just 4% and it increases steadily in following years and reached 12% till 2007.

In 1971, just 19% couple were those who do not have children and number reached 20% till 1981. Moreover, number increased by 5% in 2001 and remained same till 2007. Parents with non dependent children there number remain approximately same as it was 10% in 1971 and reached 9% in 2007. Furthermore, 52% parents live with dependent children and number dropped dramatically and reached 41% in 1991. Afterwards, it get decreased by 7% more till 2007

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student covers most of the key data points presented in the table, noting major trends such as the drop in couple households with dependent children and the rise in lone parent and one-person households. However, there are some inaccuracies and misinterpretations of the data. For instance, the claim that 'Information regarding one-family household was unknown' is incorrect, as the table provides detailed breakdowns for families underneath that heading. Additionally, the overview is somewhat simplistic, stating that couples with dependent children decrease, but missing a broader summary of the changing family structures over the 36-year period. While the response does attempt to report the main features, the lack of precision in data interpretation and an incomplete overview keep this criterion at Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is divided into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs, which provides a basic structural framework. However, the progression between ideas is sometimes disjointed and repetitive. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as the frequent reliance on 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore' to link unrelated data points. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'there number remain approximately same' where the subject linkage is weak. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of data lacks a clear logical strategy, mixing different household categories haphazardly across the body paragraphs. Overall, the organizational structure meets the requirements for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to describe basic trends, utilizing terms like 'tabular representation', 'gradually', 'steadily', and 'dramatically'. However, there are numerous lexical and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'tyes' for types, 'wih' for with, 'remain' instead of 'remained', and awkward word formations like 'non dependent children there number'. The student attempts less common vocabulary, but these attempts often result in unnatural collocations or inaccurate word choices. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic message, the frequent errors in spelling and word form prevent the response from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using time markers and relative clauses such as 'people who live alone were 6%'. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with persistent errors in tense consistency (e.g., mixing present and past tenses like 'decrease' and 'increased'), missing articles, and subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'couple with no children number increased', 'there number remain'). Punctuation is also faulty in places, with missing commas and awkward hyphenation in phrases like 'non - dependent'. Because the errors are frequent and occasionally cause minor confusion for the reader, despite the presence of some complex forms, the grammar is best assessed at Band 5.5.

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

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