Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-21

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 5.0)

The table describes the alteration in some household types in Great Britain from the year 1971 to 2007.

Overall, the major difference was occurred as the percentage marginally declined in the dependent children category. Wheras the substantial increase has been measured in the other househo;d types including one person, no children, and lone parent type. Moreover, The non-dependent children remained the same during first decade, followed by an increase in the next period, then the last two decades were also calculated as identical while decrease in the shift.

In 1971, the household types regarding one person was 7%, after a decade it turned into 8% then into 11% and lastly the last two decades were similar to 12%. In 1981, first category was shifted to 8%, while no children was 20%, corresponding to the dependent and non-dependent ones as 47% and 10% respectively, and 6% were of the lone parent. In 1991, the only person was categorised with 11%, and with no toddlers was 23%, and the dependent and non-dependent ones as 41% and 11% respectively, subsequently highlighting lone parent with 10%. In 2001, the household types regarding one person was 12%, after a decade it turned into 25% then into 39% and lastly the last two decades concluded with 9% and 12%. In 2007, first category showed similarity with the previous decade, while no children was ranked to 25%, corresponding to the dependent and non-dependent ones as 36% and 9% respectively, and 12% were of the lone parent, keeping on track the last record.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to cover the main features of the table, providing an overview and selecting data points from various years. However, there are several data inaccuracies and misinterpretations. For instance, the student states that in 1971 the one-person household figure was 7%, whereas the table clearly shows it was 6%. Furthermore, the description of trends becomes overly dense with raw data listings in the final paragraph, which lacks clear comparative analysis. While an overview is attempted, it contains vague phrasing and some confused points about the trajectory of non-dependent children. Overall, the task is addressed only partially due to the combination of factual reporting errors and underdeveloped comparative insights, placing it at Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a detailed body paragraph. However, the logical progression within the body paragraph breaks down, particularly in the final block of text where data from different years and categories are jumbled together awkwardly (e.g., jumping between 2001 and 2007 data with confused sequential markers like 'after a decade it turned into 25% then into 39%'). Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or mechanical, such as the misuse of 'Wheras' and awkward transitional phrases. Paragraphing structure is attempted, but the grouping of information lacks clear, logical flow, resulting in a score of 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary, attempting some less common words such as 'alteration', 'marginally', and 'substantial'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, awkward word choices, and typographical mistakes, such as 'difference was occurred' (passive/active confusion), 'Wheras', 'househo;d', and 'toddlers' used instead of children. These errors occasionally cause confusion for the reader. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic topic of household statistics, the frequent inaccuracies in word choice and spelling restrict the score to Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. Examples of grammatical errors include 'the major difference was occurred', 'percentage marginally declined in the dependent children category' (omitting what it declined from/to), and run-on structures with repetitive coordination ('while no children was ranked to 25%, corresponding to...'). Subject-verb agreement issues also appear, such as 'no children was'. Punctuation and phrasing errors occur throughout, causing some difficulty for the reader and indicating limited control over complex grammar. This aligns well with the Band 5 descriptors.

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

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