Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-03
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 table demonstrates the different household types in Great Britain between 1971 and 2007.
Overall, the maximum percentage of household type was in dependent children whereas, minimum was of lone parent.
To begin with, the percentage of one person household type was 6% in the beginning while it was similar in 2001 and 2007 which was doubled of 1971. However, one-family households consider many types like- couple with no children, dependent children and non-dependent children.
In addition, couple with no children had 19% in 1971 then it rose slightly in every year. In 1971, the proportion of dependent children were 52% which fell down in every year. Non-dependent children and lone parent had similar percentage in the year 2001 and 2007 which was 9% and 12% respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping at 127 words. While the student attempts to summarise the table by mentioning several categories such as 'one person' and 'couple with no children', the task is addressed only partially. The overview is weak and inaccurate, stating that 'the maximum percentage of household type was in dependent children whereas, minimum was of lone parent', which misses key trends and misidentifies the overall minimum (lone parent started at 4% in 1971, but other categories or years saw different lows). Furthermore, some details are imprecise, and the ideas remain limited and under-developed, preventing a more thorough coverage of the data.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organisation in the response, using transitional phrases like 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'However' to link ideas. However, there is no clear overall progression across the text, and the paragraphing is awkward, with the second paragraph starting abruptly with a single sentence followed by a line break. Cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically or inaccurately, such as referencing 'the beginning' without immediate clarity, and referencing the years rather than building a fluid narrative of change over time. Referencing and substitution could be managed more skilfully to guide the reader smoothly through the comparative data.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to communicate the basic features of the table. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'proportion', 'percentage', and 'category-related terms', but noticeable errors occur in word choice and collocation, such as writing 'minimum was of lone parent' or 'one-family households consider many types like'. There are also awkward phrasings like 'rose slightly in every year' instead of 'rose slightly each year'. These lexical inaccuracies and limitations restrict the response to a modest band level, though meaning remains generally retrievable.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response displays a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic compound-complex forms. Attempts at more complex structures are often faulty, such as in the sentence 'the percentage of one person household type was 6% in the beginning while it was similar in 2001 and 2007 which was doubled of 1971.' There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the proportion of dependent children were 52%'), missing articles ('minimum was of lone parent'), and awkward prepositions. These frequent grammatical slips can cause occasional difficulty and distraction for the reader.
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