Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-27

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 illustrates the changes in types of household in Great Britain between 1971 to 2007.

Overall, Dependent children household accounted for the largest percentages over a period. Meanwhile, Lone parent type was at lowest during 1971 to 1991, then Non-dependent children became lowest among others till 2007. Couple and One-family type had no information.

In 1971, Dependent children type accounted for the largest percentage at 52%, followed by No children type at 19%. Non-dependent children and One person types had 10% and 6% respectively. However, Lone parent had lowest percentage than others type which was only 4%.

Over a period in 2007, Dependent children had 36% after experience of downfall, followed by No children at 25%. One person and Lone parent type had same percentages of 12 in 2001 and as well as in 2001. Non- dependent children type started decliningafter 1991 and reached 9% in both 2001 and 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the dominant category and report several relevant figures, including dependent-children households falling from 52% to 36%, and childless couples rising from 19% to 25%. However, the overview is only partly accurate: dependent-children households were the largest category in every year, but lone-parent households were not the lowest through 1991, since one-person households were lower in 1971 and 1981. The claim that non-dependent children became the lowest category is also incorrect; lone-parent and one-person households both reached 12% in 2001 and 2007, while non-dependent children stood at 9%. The statement that “Couple and One-family type had no information” misreads the table’s headings. Cover the main trends accurately and compare the start and end years more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the earlier and later figures. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is weakened by unclear or contradictory statements, especially “Couple and One-family type had no information,” which interrupts the overview rather than summarising a trend. The final paragraph also repeats the 2001 figure for one-person and lone-parent households, despite discussing 2007, making the time reference difficult to follow. Linking words such as “Meanwhile,” “However,” and “followed by” are used, but some connections do not accurately express the relationship between the data. Grouping the main increases together and the main decline separately would make the comparison easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “percentage,” “followed by,” and “declining,” so the reader can understand the general subject. However, the range is limited and several phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “Dependent children household,” “lowest percentage than others type,” and “after experience of downfall.” These choices sometimes make the intended comparison less clear. “One-family type” is also not an accurate label for a specific category in the table, and “no information” misrepresents the table structure. Aim to use the category labels consistently—such as “households with dependent children” and “lone-parent households”—and choose natural trend language such as “fell,” “rose,” or “remained stable.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce a mix of simple statements and some longer sentences, and the main figures are generally presented in understandable clauses. However, errors in sentence structure and grammatical forms recur. The opening says “between 1971 to 2007,” where the time expression needs a consistent pattern, and “Dependent children household accounted” has a singular/plural agreement problem. In “One person and Lone parent type had same percentages of 12 in 2001 and as well as in 2001,” the article and repeated time reference make the sentence difficult to interpret. There are also missing articles and awkward clause construction in “Lone parent had lowest percentage.” Use complete, controlled comparisons—for example, “The proportion of one-person households rose from 6% to 12%”—and check agreement, articles, and time references.

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