Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given bar graph illustrates the information about percentum of households owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, it is crystal clear from the given chart that rented houses were most popular in older times. Intrestingy, in one year same percentage of both rented and owned is noticed.

To commence with, in 1918 the rented houses notched tge top slot with about 75% while only 25% houses were owned by owners.In 1961 about 40% houses accomodation is owned and rest of were rented that year. The both are in same porportion in 1971

Probing further, In 1981 the trend became opposite now more mortals have their own house with about 60% and rest of them have rented houses. In the last year, slight increse is noticed in self owned houses with 65% and about 35% household are rented.(Second least figure of this )

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad contrast between renting and owning and note the crossover in 1971, which are relevant main features. Several figures are also close to the chart: renting is about 75% in 1918, ownership is around 40% in 1961, and the 2011 split is roughly 65% owned to 35% rented. However, the overview is limited: it does not clearly summarise the long-term rise in ownership and fall in renting, followed by a small reversal after 2001. The response also omits several useful stages, including the 1991 and 2001 highs in ownership, and the final comment “Second least figure of this” is unclear. The response is 137 words, 13 short of the 150-word minimum; develop the overview and comparisons to meet the requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs describing selected years. The sequence from 1918 through 2011 is generally understandable, and phrases such as “To commence with” and “Probing further” signal a move between points. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview gives little direction for the details, and the final parenthetical phrase “Second least figure of this” does not make its reference clear. Some transitions feel formulaic, while the comparisons between years are not developed into a clear account of the overall trend. Organise the body around the change over time—early renting dominance, the 1971 crossover, and later ownership dominance—and use straightforward links between those stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “popular,” “trend,” “proportion” and “slight increase,” and the reader can usually identify the intended meaning. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a chart: “percentum,” “notched the top slot,” “mortals,” and “self owned houses” do not fit the context. Spelling errors such as “Intrestingy,” “accomodation” and “increse” are noticeable, and “Second least figure of this” is difficult to interpret. These problems make the vocabulary less precise and sometimes interrupt understanding. Prefer standard data-reporting language, such as “accounted for,” “share,” “rose” and “declined,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use some simple sentences and attempt longer constructions, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. For example, “the rented houses notched tge top slot with about 75% while only 25% houses were owned by owners” lacks a clear grammatical structure in its second clause. “In 1961 about 40% houses accomodation is owned” has problems with the noun phrase and verb form, while “The both are in same porportion” shows errors with determiners and articles. Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, including missing spaces after full stops. Practise accurate comparative sentences with clear subjects and past-tense verbs, such as “Ownership rose to 60%, while renting fell to 40%.”

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