Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-24

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 tables provides data on the evolution in the type of families living in Great Britain during 1971 and 2007.

Overall, the percentage of households accommodating one person only increased modestly over the period. However, the share of dependent children in families was the highest among other categories throughout the period, while the proportion of no-dependent was the least.

Regarding the households having one person only, recorded a noticeable growth, starting from 6% in 1971, reached 85 in 1981, and peaked at 12% in 2001 and remained the same by the end of the period.

Furthermore, the couples in one family households were divided in three categories; no children, dependent children, and non-dependent children. 19% were in the no children category, while 52% were in the dependent children category followed by 10% in the non-dependent children category.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover the main trends in the table, identifying the rise in one-person households and lone parents, as well as noting that dependent children categories were prominent. However, there are significant factual errors in data reporting; for example, stating that one-person households 'reached 85 in 1981', which is a clear transcription or typographical error, and omitting the final 2007 data column. Furthermore, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement, containing only 137 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, and data selection is incomplete and contains inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is organised into an introduction and body paragraphs with some overall logic. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Furthermore'. However, paragraphing is somewhat underdeveloped, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the ambiguous phrase 'the proportion of no-dependent was the least'. While there is a recognisable structure, progression is hindered by the brevity of the text and abrupt shifts in focus between paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases such as 'evolution in the type of families', 'accommodating one person only', and 'peaked at'. However, there are notable word choice and phrasing errors, such as 'no-dependent' instead of 'non-dependent' children, and the glaring numerical slip 'reached 85'. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling/form slips cause occasional confusion for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'while the proportion of no-dependent was the least' and 'Regarding the households having one person only, recorded a noticeable growth'. There is a major grammatical error in the third paragraph, where the relative clause lacks a main verb ('Regarding the households having one person only, recorded a noticeable growth'). Frequent minor errors and awkward phrasing prevent the writing from achieving higher band levels, though meaning is generally discernible.

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

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