Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-27

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 6.5)

This graph illustrates the percentages of households in England and Wales living in owned or rented homes between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, it is apparent that the percentage of families that owned their accommodation decreased throughout the years, whereas the percentage of those living in rented houses steadily increased.

In 1918, about 77% of household owned their houses while 23% lived in rented homes. Moving to 1939, the figure for owned accommodation dropped slightly to just shy of 70% in favor of rented houses which number jumped to 32%. 1953's figures were practically the same as the ones from 1939. For the next 18 years the percentage of families living in rented houses continued to grow while in the same house owning decreased . In 1981 the percentage of households renting their accommodation overtook the percentage of those who owned theirs for the first time when owned houses were at 40 % while rented ones were at 60% . This trend continued for the next years until 2011 when we notice ,for the first time since the start of the recorded period , the figure for households renting their houses started to decrease in favor of those owning their accommodation . renting was at 65 while owning was at 35

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided relevant data points to support your summary. However, there is a significant factual error in your overview: you stated that owned accommodation decreased while rented increased, whereas the provided chart shows the opposite trend (owned increased from 1918 to 2011, while rented decreased). This misinterpretation of the data significantly impacts the accuracy of your task response. While you cover the timeline well, the incorrect summary of the overall trend prevents a higher score. Ensure you carefully analyze the labels and the direction of the lines before drafting your overview.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In 1918', 'Moving to 1939', and 'For the next 18 years' to guide the reader through the timeline. However, the paragraphing is a bit uneven, and the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The final sentence is somewhat abrupt and lacks a clear cohesive link to the previous information. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, but the use of cohesive devices is occasionally mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'accommodation', 'figure', and 'trend'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'in favor of rented houses which number jumped', which is slightly awkward. You also have some issues with precision, such as '1953's figures were practically the same as the ones from 1939'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the sophistication and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and comparative phrases would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'percentage of household owned' (should be 'households'), 'house owning decreased' (should be 'home ownership'), and missing articles or punctuation in several places. The sentence 'renting was at 65 while owning was at 35' is grammatically incomplete as it lacks units or clear subjects. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall flow. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent use of articles will help improve your accuracy.

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