Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-22

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 provides information about people in househoulds by the type of household and family in Great Britain from 1971 to 2007

Overall, the percentage of one person housing,housing with no children and single parent housing grew steadily.Number of households with dependant and non-depandant children declined.

Single person housing started with 6% in 1971 ,it reached its peak at 1991 by 11% and then the figure stayed consistent from 2001 to 2007 at 12%.Similar pattern can be observed in lone parent and housing with no children ,as they started at 4% and 19% in 1971, reached 10% and 23% in 1991 and stayed at 12% and 25% from 2001 till 2007 respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad pattern accurately: one-person, child-free couple and lone-parent households increased, while households with children declined. You also include several correct figures, such as 6% rising to 12% for one-person households and 4% to 12% for lone-parent households. However, the report is incomplete: it gives no figures or detailed account for either dependent or non-dependent children, and the overview does not distinguish the sharp fall in dependent-child households from the smaller change in non-dependent households. The response also falls 38 words short of the required minimum, which contributes to the limited development. To strengthen the report, cover all categories and compare their end-point values as well as their trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear basic structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph with selected details. The overview helps the reader understand the main direction of change, and the final sentence groups the similar patterns for lone-parent and child-free households. This is coherent overall, but the progression is limited because the report stops after discussing only three categories; the two child-related categories are not developed. Some linking is also compressed into a long sentence, particularly the comparison beginning “Similar pattern can be observed,” which makes the figures harder to process. Use separate sentences or a clearer comparison structure, and organise the details so that all categories are covered in a logical sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “percentage,” “declined,” “reached its peak” and “stayed consistent,” so the main trends are generally understandable. There are, however, several spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural expressions, including “househoulds,” “dependant,” “single person housing” and “housing with no children.” These choices reduce precision, especially because the table describes household types rather than housing itself. Aim for accurate, consistent labels such as “one-person households,” “couples without children” and “dependent children.” The vocabulary is adequate for reporting the main information, but more precise collocations and careful spelling would make the account clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and a more complex comparison, and the overall meaning can usually be followed. Some grammatical errors remain, however. The opening lacks a final full stop, and the overview needs an article in “The number of households”; it also shifts from “percentage” to “Number” without a clear grammatical link. In “it reached its peak at 1991,” the preposition is incorrect, while “Similar pattern can be observed” needs an article. The long final sentence also has awkward punctuation and joins several figures without clear sentence boundaries. Practise accurate articles, prepositions and punctuation, and divide comparisons into shorter sentences while retaining some complex structures.

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