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 bar chart illustrates the proportion of households in owned and rented accommodation in United Kingdom and Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Overall, rented accommodation recorded the highest share of England household, while this data continuously to declined steadily. However, rented household had the lowest share of accommodation in England and Wales, it significantly increased end of the period.
In 1918, rented accommodation accounted for the largest proportion of household over 75%. it gradually decreased to almost 70%. Furthermore, owned accommodation had the lowest share of households in that time at 23%. it continuously rose to 50% in 1971. and rented accommodation declined to 50% in 1971.
Next details, in England and Wales rented accommodation shows a consistent downward trend over 30% in 2001. then it gradually rose to 35% in 2011. In addition, owned household reached peak 70% in 2001, whereas owned accommodation slightly declined almost 65% in 2011.
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 provides a clear overview of the main trends, identifying the inverse relationship between owned and rented accommodation. Key features, such as the starting points in 1918 and the crossover point in 1971, are highlighted. However, the report contains some inaccuracies in data interpretation; for instance, stating that rented accommodation 'significantly increased' at the end of the period is a slight overstatement given the scale, and the description of the 2001-2011 period is somewhat confusing. While the main features are covered, the analysis lacks the precision required for a higher band, as some data points are described vaguely or incorrectly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. There is a clear progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as 'Next details,' which is not a standard transition. Referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when the text shifts between 'rented' and 'owned' categories without sufficient signposting. While the paragraphing is functional, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved to ensure a smoother flow of information between sentences.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends (e.g., 'downward trend,' 'gradually decreased,' 'rose'). However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'this data continuously to declined' and 'rented household had the lowest share.' The range is somewhat limited, and the repetition of basic verbs like 'declined' and 'rose' restricts the sophistication of the response. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more varied synonyms and ensure collocations are used accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'this data continuously to declined,' 'rented accommodation shows a consistent downward trend over 30%,' and 'owned accommodation slightly declined almost 65%.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several sentence fragments and misused periods (e.g., 'at 23%. it continuously rose'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction 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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