Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-19

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 8.5)

The table compares the proportions of people in Great Britain who lived in five different types of household between 1971 and 2007.

Overall, the most notable change was the substantial decline in the proportion of people living in households consisting of couples with dependent children. By contrast, living alone, living in lone-parent families, and living with a couple without children all became more common. The proportion living with non-dependent children remained broadly stable.

In 1971, 52% of people lived in households comprising a couple with dependent children, making this by far the most prevalent household type. However, this figure fell consistently over the following 36 years, dropping to 47% in 1981, 41% in 1991, 39% in 2001, and 36% in 2007—a decrease of 16 percentage points overall. Meanwhile, the proportion living with a couple but without children increased steadily from 19% to 25%, peaking at 25% in both 2001 and 2007.

There were also significant increases in the proportions of people living alone or in lone-parent households. The former doubled from 6% to 12%, with most of the growth occurring before 2001, while the latter tripled from 4% to 12%. In contrast, the figure for people living with non-dependent children showed little overall change, fluctuating between 9% and 11% throughout the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The candidate has fully addressed all parts of the task by presenting a clear overview of the main trends and selecting and reporting accurate data from the table. The response accurately notes the substantial decline in couples with dependent children (falling from 52% to 36%) and highlights the significant increases in living alone, lone-parent families, and couples without children. Key comparisons are made throughout the text, such as contrasting the rapid rise of lone-parent households with the stability of those living with non-dependent children. All figures cited—for instance, the 6% to 12% doubling for single-person households and the 19% to 25% rise for couples without children—accurately reflect the source data. The overview effectively synthesises the overarching developments without getting bogged down in unnecessary raw numbers.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is exceptionally well-organised, demonstrating a clear logical progression from the introductory paraphrase to the overall summary, and finally into detailed body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used logically and appropriately; each body paragraph focuses on distinct categories of household types (couples with and without children in paragraph three, and single-person, lone-parent, and non-dependent children households in paragraph four). Cohesive devices are managed skilfully and unobtrusively, using effective transitional phrases such as 'By contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'In contrast' to signal shifts in direction and comparison. Referencing is consistently clear throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

The candidate demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Less common and precise lexical items are used naturally and accurately, including terms such as 'proportions', 'prevalent', 'fluctuating', and 'percentage points'. Collocations are sound, and precise reporting verbs and adjectives are deployed to describe statistical movements, such as 'substantial decline', 'increased steadily', and 'broadly stable'. Word choices show good awareness of style and register required for Academic Task 1, with only rare, natural phrasings that read fluently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response features a wide range of complex grammatical structures used with a high degree of flexibility and accuracy. The candidate successfully employs subordinate clauses, participial phrases ('dropping to 47% in 1981...'), and well-controlled compound-complex sentences. The majority of sentences are completely error-free, and control over tense, punctuation, and prepositions is excellent. There are no noticeable grammatical slips or awkward phrasings that impede communication or detract from the sophisticated flow of the text.

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