Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-17

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 changes in some household types in Great Britain from 1971 to 2007.

Overall,the percentage of households with single person reported a considerable increase throughout the period.Whereas,the proportion of couples having no children plummeted ,couples with dependent children also experienced a steady decline .The percentage of couples with non-dependent children shrank ,meanwhile lone parents saw an uptrend.

In 1971,percentage of households with a single person wa 6 %.The proportion of households,where a childless couple resided was19%.Couples with dependent and non-dependent children stood at 52% and 10% respectively.Lone parents were 4%.

from 1981 to 1991 ,the trend of living alone rose to 11 %.Couples with no chlidren climbed to 23%.Households of couples with dependent and non- dependent children acclerated to 47 and 10 % respectively .Lone parents percentage also surged to 10 %.

By,2007 the percentage of single households had spiked to 12 %,couples with no chlid had soared to 25%.Whereas couples with dependent and non dependent children had surged to 36 and 9 %.Lone parents remained same for both years at 12 %.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall direction of most categories and include several accurate figures, such as the fall in households with dependent children from 52% to 36% and the rise in one-person households from 6% to 12%. However, the overview is weakened by saying childless couples “plummeted”: their share rose from 19% to 25%. The final paragraph also gives only the 2007 figures, while the 1981 and 1991 data are compressed into a brief account, and the 2001 values are omitted. Some trends are therefore reported more fully than others, and “remained same for both years” is unclear about which years are meant. A more accurate overview and clearer comparisons across the period would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs presenting figures from earlier and later years. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is uneven because the body moves from 1971 to 1981–1991 and then directly to 2007, leaving 2001 unaddressed and making comparisons across the full period difficult to follow. Linking words such as “Whereas” and “meanwhile” are sometimes used mechanically or without a clear contrast, and the overview’s sequence of category changes reads like a list. Improve cohesion by grouping categories with similar trends and comparing their starting and ending values in a consistent order.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonably varied range of trend vocabulary, including “considerable increase,” “steady decline,” “surged,” and “uptrend,” and the topic is generally clear. There are, however, several inaccurate or unnatural choices: “plummeted” contradicts the rise in childless couples, while “accelerated” does not naturally describe the figures reaching 47% and 10%. “Single person” and “single households” are less precise than “one-person households,” and spelling errors such as “chlidren” and “acclerated” reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, neutral language rather than using a different dramatic verb for each category. For example, “rose,” “fell,” and “remained stable” are often more suitable for describing these data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and more complex constructions, including “Whereas couples with dependent and non-dependent children had surged to 36 and 9%.” However, complex clauses are often incomplete or awkwardly joined: “Whereas” is used as a sentence opener without a complete main clause, and “Overall,the percentage…” lacks appropriate spacing and punctuation. There are also recurring errors with articles and sentence openings, as in “In 1971,percentage,” and with verb forms, as in “Lone parents were 4%.” The final sentence, “Lone parents remained same for both years at 12%,” is grammatically unclear. Use complete sentences, check articles and punctuation, and keep tense and clause structure consistent.

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