Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-09

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 4.5)

The table illustrates the change in household in Great Britain over the time period from 1971 to 2007.

Overall, the most noticeable feature is the percentage of households that are rising up in all types except non-dependent and dependent. In addition, one-family households and couples are not added to this list.

Looking first at one person and a lone parent, they are the same percentage in 2007, which is 12, but in 1971 they have some differences of 2 percent in one person. In 1991 one person had 11 percent, while the lone had 10 percent.

Turning to the remaining lone parent, non-dependent and dependent children are overall decreased at the end of the time period, whereas no children are highest in 2007, which is 19, and lowest in 1971, reaching 25. In comparison, the dependent decrease from 52 to 36 percent of households, but in 1991 they are 41 percent, while the non-dependent also decrease, but it reaches a maximum in 1991, which is 11.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the broad topic and reports several relevant figures, including the fall in households with dependent children from 52% to 36% and the 1991 peak of 11% for non-dependent children. However, the overview is inaccurate: it says all types rise except the two child categories, although non-dependent households also rise slightly from 10% to 11% before falling, and the dependent category declines throughout. The comparison that “no children” is highest in 2007 at 19% reverses the data: it reaches 25% in 2001 and 2007, while 19% is the 1971 figure. Some categories are also confused or omitted. Select the main trends accurately and give a clear overview before supporting it with comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, and signposts such as “Looking first” and “Turning to” show an attempt to guide the reader. However, progression is difficult to follow because categories are grouped unclearly: “the remaining lone parent, non-dependent and dependent children” does not clearly signal what is being compared, and “one-family households and couples are not added to this list” interrupts the overview without explaining the relationship. Some references, such as “they” and “it,” are also unclear. Organise the body paragraphs around clear groups of trends, and use explicit category names and comparisons so the links between sentences are easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses enough basic vocabulary to communicate the subject, including “percentage,” “decrease,” “maximum,” and “in comparison.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning awkward or imprecise. For example, “rising up” is not a natural way to describe a trend, “the lone” is an unclear shortened label, and “are not added to this list” does not express the intended relationship between household categories. “Change in household” is also too general for the table. Use precise terms such as “household types,” “proportion,” “increased,” and “remained stable,” and repeat category labels where needed rather than relying on unclear shorthand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including a contrast with “while” and a clause beginning “whereas.” However, complex sentences are often not controlled successfully, and errors sometimes make the intended comparison difficult to understand. For example, “the percentage of households that are rising up in all types except non-dependent and dependent” has an unclear structure, while “the dependent decrease from 52 to 36 percent” lacks a correctly formed subject and verb. There are also problems with articles and sentence construction in “in 1971 they have some differences of 2 percent in one person.” Practise building accurate comparison sentences with clear subjects and consistent past-tense reporting, such as “The proportion of one-person households rose from 6% to 12%.”

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