Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

This table contains people in households by type of household and family living in Great Britain for the years 1971, 1981. 1991, 2001, and 2007. According to the given chart one person in 1971 the household was 6 percent later on in 1981 it got 8 percent of household , in 1991 11 percent person holds the house hold , in 2001 12 percent hold household and later in 2007 12 percent person holds the household and family.

Overall, the most common household type throughout the period was couples with dependent children, although its share tells about the households of No children, Dependent children, Non-dependent children and lone parent. In 1971's 52 percent of people lived in household with dependent children, in 1981 20 percent of people lived in household with dependent children, whereas in 1991 23 percent, in 2001 25 percent and 2007 25 percent of people lived in household with dependent children.

The second larger category was couple with no children which accounted 19 percent in 1971 and at the end in 2007 it was 25 percent couples with no children.

In 1971 the couples with non-dependent children was 10 percent and later on 2001 it was 9 percent of couple household non-dependent children.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the period and report several relevant figures, including the rise in one-person households from 6% to 12% and the increase in couples without children from 19% to 25%. However, the account only partially covers the table, and some key information is misreported: the 20% figure in 1981 belongs to couples without children, not those with dependent children, whose share fell from 52% to 47%. The overview also says the dependent-children category “tells about” the other household types, which does not clearly summarise the main trends. Include the lone-parent rise from 4% to 12% and the overall decline in dependent-child households, and compare the categories accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an opening, an overview, and further details, and it uses some linking expressions such as “Overall,” “whereas,” and “later on.” However, the progression is difficult to follow because figures for different categories are mixed together. For example, the paragraph about dependent children gives the 1981 value for couples without children, then continues with values that also belong to the no-children category. Repeated time markers and phrases such as “later on” do not make the comparisons clear. Organise the details by trend or household type, and use clear references such as “this proportion” only when the category is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “household,” “dependent children,” “non-dependent children,” and “couples.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to interpret. For instance, “one person … holds the household” and “person holds the house hold” are not natural ways to describe a percentage of people living alone. “The second larger category” is also an imprecise comparison, while “its share tells about” does not express a clear trend. Use standard data-reporting language consistently, such as “accounted for,” “the proportion rose,” and “the largest category,” and check that each term matches the table’s household type.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentences, including a comparison with “whereas,” but control is uneven and errors frequently interrupt clarity. The opening sentence has faulty punctuation in the list of years (“1981. 1991”), and several clauses lack a clear grammatical structure, as in “in 1991 11 percent person holds the house hold.” The phrase “In 1971's 52 percent of people lived” also uses an incorrect possessive construction. Articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries are often missing or misplaced. Practise forming complete comparison sentences with a clear subject and verb—for example, “The proportion of households with dependent children fell from 52% in 1971 to 36% in 2007”—and punctuate lists and clauses carefully.

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.