Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-28

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 8.0)

The bar chart illustrates the ratio of households owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, the proportion of households living in owned accommodation increased steadily throughout the period, while the percentage of rented homes declined. Home ownership reached its highest point in 2001 before falling slightly in 2011.

In 1918, only 22% of households owned their homes, whereas the remaining 78% lived in rented accommodation. Over the following decades, the percentage of homeowners increased gradually to 31% in 1939 and then to 32% in 1953. By 1961, home ownership had risen to 42%, before reaching 50% in 1971. During the same period, the proportion of rented accommodation fell steadily from 78% to 50%.

After 1971, the percentage of owner-occupied households continued to rise, reaching 60% in 1981 and 68% in 1991. It peaked at 69% in 2001 before declining slightly to 64% in 2011. In contrast, the proportion of rented accommodation dropped to 40% in 1981 and 32% in 1991. Although it reached its lowest level of 31% in 2001, it increased modestly to 36% by 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the main trends and selected relevant data points to support your description. The comparison between the two categories (owned vs. rented) is consistent throughout the report. You have successfully identified the key features, such as the steady rise in home ownership until 2001 and the corresponding decline in rented accommodation. The information is accurate and well-selected, providing a comprehensive summary of the provided chart without unnecessary detail. This meets the requirements for a high band score as it covers all aspects of the prompt clearly and logically.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the data chronologically. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you have used cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'by', 'during the same period', and 'in contrast' effectively to link information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods, which helps the reader follow the narrative. The flow between sentences is natural, and there is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive usage. The structure is coherent and supports the overall purpose of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'increased steadily', 'declined', 'reached its highest point', and 'modestly'. The terminology is accurate and appropriate for an academic report. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it could be further enhanced by incorporating more sophisticated synonyms or collocations to demonstrate a wider range. For example, instead of repeating 'percentage', you could use 'proportion', 'share', or 'figure'. Overall, the lexical control is good, and there are no errors that impede communication or cause confusion for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response demonstrates a good command of grammatical structures. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively, such as 'In 1918, only 22% of households owned their homes, whereas the remaining 78% lived in rented accommodation.' Punctuation is accurate, and there are very few grammatical errors. The majority of your sentences are error-free, showing good control over tense usage (past simple and past perfect). To reach a higher band, you could experiment with more varied sentence structures, such as using passive voice or participle clauses to describe the data, but the current level is already very strong and clear.

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