Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-14
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 bar graph illustrate the information about percentage of rented and owned houses in England in year 1918 and 2011.
In 1918, around 22% of homes were owned while nearly 77% were rented properties. In year 1939 and 1953 around 32 % of households were own by people and 67% of accommodation was used as rental in same years. Percentage inclined up to 41% of owned household's in 1961 whereas 8% decline was observed in rental properties. In 1971, both rental and owned houses showed same proportion as 50%.
After a decade, people interest increased by 20% in owned homes while only 40% individual interested in living in rental accommodations. In 1991, popularity of rental property lacked behind by 37% from owned households which was interpreted as 69%. In 2001 and 2011, around 30% households were rental. Popularity of own homes declined by 4% in year 2011 which was noticed as 69% in last decade.
To conclude, people were most interested to live in own home during 2001 and in 1961 people tend to enjoy life in rented homes.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data, such as the initial 1918 figures and the crossover point in 1971. However, the analysis is inconsistent. The description of the 1991 data is confusing, stating that popularity 'lacked behind by 37% from owned households which was interpreted as 69%,' which is mathematically unclear and difficult to follow. Additionally, the conclusion introduces subjective interpretations ('people tend to enjoy life') rather than summarizing the data trends. While the key trends are identified, the lack of clarity in reporting specific figures prevents a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as 'After a decade' to describe the jump from 1971 to 1981, which is factually incorrect. Referencing is also problematic; for instance, the phrase 'in same years' is vague. The transition between sentences lacks logical flow, making it difficult for the reader to follow the chronological development of the data. Better use of linking words like 'subsequently,' 'meanwhile,' or 'in contrast' would improve the overall structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'percentage,' 'houses,' and 'popularity.' There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'people interest increased,' 'individual interested,' and 'lacked behind.' The phrase 'inclined up to' is also non-standard in this context. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of precision and the frequent errors in word formation and collocation limit the score. To improve, you should focus on using more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion,' 'fluctuated,' or 'remained stable.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('graph illustrate,' 'households were own'), article usage ('in year 1939'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple or contain awkward phrasing, such as 'popularity of own homes declined by 4% in year 2011 which was noticed as 69% in last decade.' The misuse of prepositions and tense consistency is also evident. While the reader can generally understand the intended meaning, the high frequency of errors in basic structures prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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