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 given table compares the changes in many kinds of household- one person, one-family households where couple and lone parent in Great Britain in percentage between 1971 and 2007.

Overall, the percentage of one person householde was increased and rest of the categories were fluctuated during the period in Great Britain.

It can be seen that the proportion of one person family was only 6% in the year of 1971. This rate gradually increased in next years of the period. In 1981 and 1991 this rate was 4% and 11% respectively. And in the next two years of the period 2001 and 2007 this percentage remained same in 12%.

According to one-family households there are two categories named copule and lone parent. In the terms of copule, the percentage of no children household was 19%, 20%, 23%, and 25% in the year of 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, and 2007 respectively. The rate of dependent children and non-dependent children was fluctuated during the period. And The percentage of lone parent increased from 4% to 12% between 1971 and 2007 though in the middle of the period this rate was fluctuated.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the table’s subject and report several relevant trends, including the rise in one-person households and lone-parent households, and the increase in couples without children. However, the overview is unclear: saying the other categories “were fluctuated” does not capture that dependent-child households fell substantially, while non-dependent-child households changed only slightly. There is also a factual error: one-person households were 8% in 1981, not 4%. The account of dependent and non-dependent children is too general to show their contrasting patterns, and the 2007 value for dependent children (36%) is omitted. To strengthen the response, give a more precise overview and select key figures that accurately illustrate the main rises and falls.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, sensible structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the one-person and one-family categories. Phrases such as “Overall,” “It can be seen,” and “According to” help signal the stages of the report. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven. The overview does not clearly preview the main contrasts, and the final paragraph moves from couples without children to two child-related categories and then lone parents without explaining their relationships. “And in the next two years” also makes the sequence less smooth. Organise the details by clear trends—for example, rising categories versus declining or stable ones—and use linking phrases to show comparisons rather than simply listing figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “increased,” and “remained same,” so the reader can generally understand the subject and trends. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “one person family,” “the rate of dependent children,” and “in the terms of copule.” Repetition of “percentage,” “rate,” and “period” also makes the report less precise. Spelling errors such as “householde” and “copule” further reduce accuracy. Use standard table-reporting collocations and distinguish household categories from the people within them; this will make comparisons clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a sentence with “though” to describe the lone-parent trend. However, errors in verb forms, articles, agreement, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some statements awkward. For example, “the percentage … was increased” should use “increased,” while “the rate … was 4% and 11%” incorrectly reports the 1981 figure and also needs a clearer subject. “The rate of dependent children and non-dependent children was fluctuated” has an incorrect passive construction; use “fluctuated” or “changed.” There are also punctuation and capitalisation issues, such as beginning a sentence with “And” and capitalising “The” mid-sentence. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build complex sentences around clear subjects and verbs.

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