Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-10
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 given vertical bar graph depicts the information about ratio of household accommodation which was owned and rented in England and Wales in a time period of 1918 and 2011. The data has been calibrated into percentage.
Overall, it is crystal clear that the rented accommodation was holding the highest data in first year and the owned one was maximum in last second year across England and Wales.
At a fleeting glance, it is evident that in the year 1918, rented accommodation was holding the highest position with almost 77% while in opposite owned was least with about 22% in same year. Following this, coming with the next two years 1939 and 1953 with a approximately same value of 68% for rented one and 31% for owned accommodation respectively. Then this trend continued for many years and both accommodation were having equal value exactly 50% in 1971.
Moving further, in the year 1981 both living quarters were having a considerable difference of 20% and surprisingly owned housing is preferred then rented and this trend further goes on and then in year 2011 the trend broke and value for rented was about 63% and for owned one was almost 36%.
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, such as the initial dominance of rented accommodation and the eventual shift toward home ownership. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the interpretation of the data. For example, you state that the trend 'broke' in 2011, but the data shows a clear continuation of the shift toward rented accommodation. Additionally, the claim that owned housing was at its maximum in the 'last second year' is confusing and inaccurate. While you identify the key trends, the lack of precision in reporting the data points and the misinterpretation of the final year's data prevent a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of time. You use some cohesive devices like 'Following this', 'Moving further', and 'in the year 1981'. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'coming with the next two years', which is not a standard way to introduce data. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the 'last second year'. While the overall structure is coherent, the mechanical nature of some transitions and the occasional lack of clarity in linking ideas suggest a mid-range performance.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'calibrated', 'fleeting glance', and 'living quarters'. However, there are several instances of imprecise or unnatural word choices, such as 'holding the highest data', 'maximum in last second year', and 'value for rented was about 63%'. These choices occasionally impede the precision required for a data-reporting task. To improve, focus on using more accurate collocations for describing trends and statistical data, such as 'proportion', 'reached a peak', or 'experienced a significant shift'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'information about ratio of household', 'both accommodation were having', and 'owned housing is preferred then rented'. The misuse of articles ('the' before 'ratio') and subject-verb agreement errors are common. While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to distract from the content. Increasing your control over basic grammar and ensuring consistent tense usage when describing historical data will help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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