Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates percentages of owned and rented english England and Welsh accomodation from 1919 to 2011.

Overall, owning and rented shows opposite trends with a sharp increase in ownership and a reciprocal decline in the percentage of renters. By the end of the period, ownership had overtaken renting by a wide margin.

In 1919, household ownership stood at around 23% compared to rental, which were at nearly 75%. From that point there was a steady rise in ownership and decline in rentals. Rentals reached 69% in 1939 and held steady until 1953 before falling to 44% in 1961. Owning ownership rose to 31% in 1939, remained there in 1953 before becoming even with rentals at 50% each 1971.

This trend continued for both percentages with the rentals declining sharply to 40% and 31% in 1991 and 1991, respectively. Likewise, ownership rose to 60% and 64% in the same year. In 2001, the falling rate of rentals slackened to 31% but 64% for ownership and there was small rebound that bucked the trend at the end of period with rented houses rising to nearly 40% and owned houses dipping to just over 60%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the chart, including the overall trends and specific data points. You successfully identified the inverse relationship between owned and rented accommodation. The overview is clear and sets the stage for the body paragraphs. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in the data reporting; for instance, you mention 1991 twice instead of 1981, and the description of the 2001 data is slightly confusing. To reach a higher band, ensure that all figures are transcribed accurately from the source material and that the comparison between the two categories remains consistent throughout the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving chronologically through the period. You use cohesive devices such as 'likewise', 'in contrast', and 'from that point' to link sentences. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the final paragraph (e.g., 'in the same year' when referring to two different dates) is slightly unclear. Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring precise referencing would enhance the flow and cohesion of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'reciprocal decline', 'slackened', and 'bucked the trend'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'owning ownership' (redundant) and 'english England' (repetition/typo). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise collocations—such as 'a marked increase' or 'a gradual shift'—would elevate the lexical quality. The spelling is generally accurate, though the minor slips mentioned above slightly detract from the overall precision of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You successfully employ comparative structures and time-based clauses. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'owning and rented shows' (subject-verb agreement) and 'rental, which were' (plural/singular mismatch). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and phrasing issues, such as '50% each 1971'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent tense usage throughout the report will help improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.