Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-25

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 percentage of different categories household in Great Britain year between 1971 to 2007.

Overall, as it can be seen that the number of people who lived alone which increased sharply, while the number children who rely on their parents decreased dramatically over the period. Additionally, more couple were less interested in taking children and its lead to escalated the number of lone parents.

As the chart illustrate, the number of single people followed an upward trend from the year 1971 to 2007. In the term of one-family household the couples without children showed an sharp rose in number started from 19% by 1971 ended up 25% at end of the period.

In 1971, children who dependent on their families stood at 52%, while non dependent children were 10 at same time. Both types are decreased in the following years. However the most concerning thing was dramatic grew of the number of lone parents amount, which accounted for 12% by 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast accurately: the share of people living alone rose, while households with dependent children declined. You also report the increase in couples without children from 19% to 25% and the rise in lone-parent households to 12%, so the response is relevant and includes several key figures. However, some points are less fully developed: the single-person trend is described without its figures, and the statement that couples were “less interested in taking children” is an unsupported explanation rather than a trend shown by the table. The claim that both dependent and non-dependent children decreased is also imprecise, since non-dependent households rose slightly before falling. A clearer overview and more precise comparisons would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details, and the contrast introduced by “while” helps signal the main trends. However, progression between the details is not always clear: the paragraph shifts from single-person households to couples without children, then to two child-related categories and lone parents without a consistent grouping. Some linking is also mechanical or unclear, particularly “Additionally” before an unsupported explanation and “Both types are decreased,” where the reference is not fully precise. Organise the body around related trends—for example, rising household types and declining ones—and use clear references to the categories. This would make the overall arrangement easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary such as “dependent children,” “lone parents,” and “upward trend,” and you attempt more formal reporting language. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “categories household,” “an sharp rose,” “dramatic grew,” and “the most concerning thing.” The latter also introduces an evaluative tone that is not suitable for a neutral table summary. “Number” is repeated where “proportion” or “percentage” would be more precise. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main trends, but they limit precision and naturalness. Focus on standard data-reporting phrases and accurate word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “while” and a time clause beginning “In 1971.” Some sentence structures communicate the intended comparisons, but errors occur in articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction. For example, “as it can be seen that” is an awkward clause pattern, while “the number of single people followed an upward trend” lacks a clear grammatical link to the stated period. “Both types are decreased” uses an incorrect verb form, and “non dependent children were 10 at same time” omits necessary grammatical elements. These issues sometimes make relationships less clear. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and complete, well-formed comparison sentences.

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