Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-25
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 given table illustrates the change in household types in Great Britain during the years between 1971 and 2007. Overall, Dependent children household type had the highest percentage, while lone parent household showed the lowest percentage of all.
In 1971, only 6 percent of houshold consisted of one person. This ratio increased in the coming years and reached 12 percent in 2007. Considering the category of one-family household, the family with no children started at 19 percent in 1971. This precentage noticably increased to 25 percent in 2007.
The second type in the same category is household with dependent children. This type has the highest percentage of all household types. In 1971, 52 percent households had dependent children, which is greatest percentage of all. It started declining in the coming years, and only 36 percent household had dependent children.
Another household type is non-dependent children. In 1971, 10 percent household were consists of non-dependent children. This ratio dropped slightly to 9 percent until 2007. Lone parent is the last household type. Around 4 percent households had lone parent in 1971. This ratio surged marginally to 12 percent till 2007.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student covers all parts of the task well, selecting and reporting key features from the table. An overview is attempted in the opening paragraph ("Dependent children household type had the highest percentage, while lone parent household showed the lowest percentage of all"), though it could be more comprehensive by capturing overall trends. The main features are appropriately highlighted, such as the growth in one-person households and the decline in households with dependent children. Data is cited accurately from the table, meeting the requirements of a Band 6.5 or 7.0 for Task Achievement by presenting a clear and accurate overview of the main trends with relevant data points.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The essay is divided into an introduction, body paragraphs dealing with different household categories, and a conclusion-like flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related information. Cohesive devices are utilized, such as "In 1971", "This ratio increased", and "Another household type", though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive ("This ratio increased", "This type has"). Reference words are generally clear, but referencing could be more varied. Overall, cohesion is functional and aids readability, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like "percentage", "category", "declining", "surged", and "marginally". However, there are some noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as "houshold" (spelling), "This precentage noticably increased" (spelling and phrasing), and "households had lone parent" rather than "lone-parent households". Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited accuracy. While communication is never impeded, these inaccuracies and limited flexibility restrict the score to a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses ("which is greatest percentage of all") and adverbial time clauses ("In 1971, only 6 percent..."). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including subject-verb agreement issues ("10 percent household were consists of", "only 36 percent household had") and missing articles ("lone parent is the last household type"). However, these errors rarely impede communication and the basic meaning remains clear throughout, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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