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 change in the proportion of housing in families: either self-owned or renting across England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, the rented accommodation dropped dramatically in the 20th century, in contrast to the households in owning, which surged during these years. In the 21st century, this trend is projected to reverse.

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 peak 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

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You highlighted the key intersection point in 1971 and correctly identified the peak and trough years for both categories. The data is accurately reported, and the comparison between the two housing types is consistent throughout the response. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points mentioned are precise; for instance, you mentioned 'near 70%' for 2001, which is accurate, but ensure that all comparisons are fully supported by the figures provided in the chart. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the information effectively. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast to', 'On the other hand', and 'thereafter' to guide the reader through the timeline. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the start of the period to the end. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the trends. To improve, ensure that the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is slightly more seamless to enhance the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'surged', 'thrived', 'fluctuations', and 'intersected' appropriately. This allows for a precise description of the trends. There are some minor awkward phrasings, such as 'households in owning' and 'proportion of housing in families', which are slightly unnatural. However, these do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that your word choices are consistently natural and precise in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is generally good. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'the rise of proportion in renting reversely', which is slightly clunky. Additionally, 'households in owning' should be 'owner-occupied households'. Despite these minor issues, your grammar is strong and does not hinder the reader's understanding. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures to demonstrate greater flexibility.

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