Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-07
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 bar charts illustrate a comparision between households in accommodations, those are rented and those which have an owner, in the England and Wales over a period of a century almost, from 1918 to 2011.
The Percentage of households in personal accommodations had increased steadily over this complete period of time in England and Wales, except in last few years. Contrast by, there was a gradual decline in the percentage of housholds in borrowed accommodations, other than last few years.
In 1918 the percentage of households in owned property was approximately 25% that raised gradually and peaked at 70% in 2001, after that it again declined to 65% in 2011.
A complete opposite trend can be seen with the percentage of households in rented accommodations in England and Wales, those were approximately 75% in 1918 and steadily droped to 30% till 2001. Likewise personal accommodations there was change in trend, so in 2011 this number climbed to 35% for rented residentials.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data well, identifying the overall trends for both owned and rented accommodation. You successfully highlighted the starting point (1918), the peak/trough (2001), and the final data point (2011). The comparison between the two categories is clear throughout the report. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview is more distinct; currently, it is integrated into the second paragraph. A separate, clear overview paragraph summarizing the most significant trends—such as the inverse relationship between the two categories and the shift in the final decade—would improve the structure and clarity of your response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into four paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of information. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In 1918', 'A complete opposite trend', and 'Likewise', to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'Contrast by' (which should be 'In contrast') and 'Likewise personal accommodations there was change'. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will help the flow of your writing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and specific data points.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'steadily', 'peaked', 'decline', and 'opposite trend'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'personal accommodations' (instead of 'owner-occupied' or 'privately owned') and 'borrowed accommodations' (instead of 'rented'). Additionally, 'residentials' is not the correct noun form here; 'residences' or 'housing' would be more appropriate. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your report. Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary will help you achieve a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'those are rented and those which have an owner' (awkward phrasing), 'that raised gradually' (should be 'which rose'), and 'droped' (spelling error). The phrase 'except in last few years' is missing an article. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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