Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-14

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

PEOPLE IN HOUSEHOLDS BY TYPE OF HOUSEHOLD AND FAMILY

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The table illustrates the proportion of individuals living in various types of house hold in Great Britian over 36-years period from 1971 to 2007.

Overall, household consisting of couple with dependent childrens remain the most common type throughout the period, despite expereincing a steady decline.Conversely, single-parent household and lone parent arrangement saw a noticable increase, while the proportion of couple with non-dependent child remain relitavely stable

In 1971, over half of the population(52%) lived in household with couple and dependent childern. This figure dropped consistently over the following decades, falling into 47%, by 1991 41%and reaching the lowest at 2007. Despite this largest category in the table. In contrast, families with non dependent children fluctuated marginally, hovering between 9% to 11% across the entire timeframe.

Meanwhile, other living arrangements became increasingly popular. The percentage of people living alone doubled from 6% in 1971 to 12% in 2001, where it stabilized through 2007. A similar upward trajectory was observed in lone-parent households, which rose threefold from a mere 4% at the beginning of the period to 12% by the end. Finally, the share of couples living without children experienced a gradual but steady rise, climbing from 19% in 1971 to peak at 25% in both 2001 and 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response identifies the main pattern accurately: households with couples and dependent children remained the largest category while declining, and several other arrangements increased. It also reports useful comparisons, including the rise in couples without children from 19% to 25% and lone-parent households from 4% to 12%. The overview is relevant, and the figures selected are generally grounded in the table. However, there is a factual slip in the dependent-children account: the figure was 41% in 1991, not 41% after the 1981 value of 47% as the sentence currently implies; the sequence also omits 2001’s 39% and the final 36%. The overview’s claim that non-dependent-child couples stayed stable is broadly supported, but the response could present the key endpoint more clearly. More precise reporting and fuller coverage of the decline would strengthen it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping the declining category and the other trends. This makes the main comparisons easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” “Meanwhile,” and “Finally” help signal relationships between points. However, cohesion is sometimes weakened by faulty punctuation and sentence connections. For example, “Despite this largest category in the table.” is an incomplete sentence, and “falling into 47%, by 1991 41%and reaching…” does not clearly connect the dates and values. The overview also repeats the idea of increasing household types without distinguishing the categories precisely. Use complete sentences and make each time point explicit to create smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “steady decline,” “fluctuated marginally,” “upward trajectory,” and “stabilized.” These choices help describe trends rather than merely list figures. Some less common expressions are attempted, but several are inaccurate or awkward: “single-parent household and lone parent arrangement” repeats the same category, while “the lowest at 2007” and “a mere 4%” are not the most natural choices for a neutral data report. Spelling errors such as “Britian,” “expereincing,” “noticable,” and “relitavely” also reduce control. Aim for precise, consistent labels from the table and check spelling carefully; for example, use “lone-parent households” consistently and “fell to” when reporting a value.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mix of simple and more complex structures, including “despite experiencing a steady decline” and the relative clause “which rose threefold.” Most of the intended meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are noticeable. Examples include “household consisting … remain” and “the proportion … remain,” where singular subjects require “remains”; “dependent childrens,” where the plural form should not take an additional -s; and “over 36-years period,” which needs an article and a different compound form. The sentence beginning “Despite this largest category” is also incomplete, and missing spaces after punctuation make the data sequence harder to read. Check subject–verb agreement, articles, plural forms, and sentence boundaries during revision.

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