Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-05
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 following table illustrates changes in household types in Great Britain between 1971 and 2007
overall, one-family household with dependent children remained at the top though count in percentage decreased while, the count of lone parent and non-dependent children remained lowest . The count of couples with neither children showed a steady growth .
The non children and dependent children couple showed the highest number , yet non children couple showed a steady growth from 19% in 1971 to 25% in 2007 , dependent children kept decreasing from 52% to 36% but still leading . non-dependent children percentage remained stagnant varying around 1-2% the whole time
Lone parent and one person family shared the same stats in 2007 which was 12% but back in 1971 lone parent were just 4 % and one person family was about 6% both of them showed the sign of significant growth but lone parent had 2 % more .
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 response addresses all parts of the task by identifying key features and making relevant comparisons across the period from 1971 to 2007. The introduction correctly paraphrases the prompt, and the overview highlights the main trends, such as the dominance of one-family households with dependent children alongside the growth in one-person and lone-parent households. However, some parts of the response are under-developed or imprecise. For instance, the statement that non-dependent children 'remained stagnant varying around 1-2% the whole time' misinterprets the data, as their percentages actually hovered around 9-11% rather than fluctuating by 1-2%. Additionally, some comparisons lack clarity, but the core features of the table are generally captured, placing the response at this level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement, with a clear attempt to group and sequence information logically, starting with an overview and moving into specific household categories. Paragraphing is used, though the structure is fragmented into several very short blocks rather than a cohesive, balanced report. Cohesive devices are used, but they are sometimes mechanical or faulty, such as the repetitive use of connectors like 'while' and 'yet' without smooth transitions. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'the non children and dependent children couple showed the highest number', which makes tracking the logical progression of ideas slightly difficult for the reader.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
An adequate range of vocabulary is deployed for the task, with attempts to use descriptive terms such as 'steady growth', 'significant growth', and 'stagnant'. However, there are notable inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'neither children' instead of 'no children', and 'one person family' instead of 'one-person households'. Spelling and word formation errors, such as 'overall' written in lowercase at the beginning of a sentence and awkward collocations like 'shared the same stats', are present. While these lexical slips do not completely impede communication, they restrict the score to this band because precision is lacking.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure when discussing trends over time. Nevertheless, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Punctuation is particularly weak, marked by missing full stops, erratic capitalization (e.g., lowercase starting letters), and awkward comma splices before coordinating conjunctions. There are also minor grammatical slip-ups, such as singular/plural mismatches (e.g., 'one-family household with dependent children remained' missing an article or pluralization, and 'lone parent were'). These errors require some mental effort from the reader to untangle, keeping the performance at this level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.