Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
The bar chart illustrates the changes of proportion of housing in families: either self-owned or renting across England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Overall, the rented accommodation dropped dramatically from 1918 to 2011, contrasting with households in owning, which surged among these years.
At the start of 1918, renting occupied the highest market, having over 75% of households, but following a declining trend, where it intersected with the rising owning accommodation in 1971; each consisted of half of the total household percentage. After 1971, the rented accommodation continued decreasing: hitting a low in 2001, with only 32% of households.
On the other hand, the owned accommodation started off with 22% of households in 1918, with slightly upward fluctuations up to 1953, then thrived significantly thereafter to the summit of near 70% in 2001.
During 2011, the percentage of households in owning dropped with the rise of proportion in renting reversely - approximately 63% and 38% respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response effectively covers the requirements of the task. You have identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. The key features, such as the intersection point in 1971 and the contrasting trends between owned and rented accommodation, are well-highlighted. The data is accurately reported, and the comparison between the two categories is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points mentioned are precise; for instance, the 'near 70%' figure is a good estimation, but ensure such approximations are consistently supported by the visual evidence provided in the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information effectively. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving chronologically through the data. You have used cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'At the start of', 'After 1971', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. The flow is generally natural, though some transitions could be slightly more sophisticated to enhance the overall cohesion of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases like 'surged', 'thrived significantly', and 'upward fluctuations' are used effectively to describe the trends. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'proportion of housing in families' and 'renting occupied the highest market', which sound slightly unnatural. However, these do not impede communication. To improve, focus on more precise collocations related to statistical reporting, such as 'the proportion of households' rather than 'proportion of housing in families'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You have successfully employed complex sentences to describe trends, such as 'renting occupied the highest market, having over 75% of households, but following a declining trend'. While there are occasional grammatical slips, such as 'households in owning' (which should be 'home ownership') and 'the rise of proportion in renting reversely', these errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion. The majority of your sentences are clear and demonstrate good control over basic and intermediate grammatical structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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