Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-15

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 ILLUSTRATES THE TRANSFORMATION IN SOME HOUSEHOLD TYPES IN GREAT BRITAIN FROM 1971 TO 2007.

AS DEPICTED IN THE TABLE, MANY HOUSEHOLD TYPES WENT THROUGH SEVERAL TRANSFORMATIONS. DEPENDENT CHILDREN TYPE HAS CHANGED CONSTANTLY WITH HIGH PERCENTAGES WHEREAS MANY TYPES REMAINED UNCHANGED.

ONE PERSON TYPE CHANGED MINIMALLY OVER THE YEARS WITH 6% IN 1971, 8% IN 1981, 11% 1991, 12% IN BOTH 2001 AND 2007. LONE PARENT TYPE KEPT CHANGING IN AN EVEN SMALLER SCALE WITH 4%,6%,10% CHANGES IN 1971,1981,1991 RESPECTIVELY, AND 12% IN BOTH 2001 AND 2007. NON-DEPENDENT CHILDREN TYPE HAS MORE CHANGES THAN BOTH THE AFOREMENTIONED TYPES, ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY AT BEST. IT STAYS 10% FOR FIRST 10 YEARS, THEN RISES TO 11% IN 1991, AND THEN DROPS 9% IN 2001 AND STAYS THE SAME FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

NO CHILDREN TYPE IS THE TYPE WITH SECOND MOST CHANGES. 19% IN 1971, 20% IN 1981, 23 % IN 1991, 25 % IN BOTH 2001 AND 2007 RESPECTIVELY. BUT THE GAP BETWEEN DEPENDENT CHILDREN TYPE AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD TYPES IN GIGANTIC. IT LEADS THE TABLE WITH A STAGGERING 52% IN 1971, 47% IN 1981, 41% IN 1991, 39 % IN 2001 AND 36% IN 2007. FEW HOUSEHOLD TYPES SUCH AS ONE-FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS, COUPLE DID NOT GO THROUGH ANY KIND OF CHANGES WHATSOEVER.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You report several key figures accurately, including the rise in one-person households from 6% to 12%, the increase in lone-parent households from 4% to 12%, and the decline in dependent-child households from 52% to 36%. However, the overview is unclear: “many household types went through several transformations” does not identify the main overall pattern, and the claim that dependent-child households “changed constantly” is imprecise. You also incorrectly say that “one-family households, couple did not go through any kind of changes”; the table gives changing figures for the listed family types, and “couple” is a category heading rather than a separate unchanged type. A clearer overview and more accurate interpretation of the table’s categories would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: it introduces the table, discusses several smaller categories, and then turns to the two largest categories. This gives the reader some overall organisation. However, the overview is not clearly separated from the detailed reporting, and the final sentence introduces an inaccurate claim rather than providing a concise conclusion. Connections between points are sometimes mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “type” and the transitions “although” and “but,” which do not always clarify the comparison. Grouping the rising categories together and contrasting them with the declining dependent-children figure would create a clearer progression. Use paragraphing to distinguish the overview from the detailed comparisons, and make each transition express the relationship between the figures precisely.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing change, including “rises,” “drops,” “stays,” and “gap,” and terms such as “dependent children” and “lone parent” are relevant to the table. There are also attempts at more emphatic language, such as “staggering” and “gigantic,” but these are too informal or exaggerated for an academic data summary. Several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, including “changed constantly,” “in an even smaller scale,” and “second most changes.” Repeatedly calling each category a “type” also limits precision. Choose neutral, accurate reporting language and vary it carefully—for example, describe figures as increasing, remaining stable, or declining, and refer to household categories consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, and the figures are generally understandable. However, some grammatical errors and awkward constructions remain. For example, “11% 1991” is missing “in,” while “with 4%,6%,10% changes in 1971,1981,1991 respectively” has an unclear structure and needs more accurate punctuation and phrasing. “It stays 10% for first 10 years” also lacks an article and uses an unclear time reference. The final sentence, “one-family households, couple did not go through,” has a faulty subject and verb construction. Build more controlled comparisons using complete clauses, check articles and prepositions, and punctuate lists of years and percentages consistently.

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.