Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-15
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 6.0)
The bar chart compares the proportion of households owing and renting accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.
Overall it can be seen that, household in rented apartments during between 1981- 1961 had the highest percentage, but was overtaken by households in owned accommodation at the following period. Additionally, in 1971 the two cases were at the same percentage.
Focusing on the period between1981 to 1961, rented apartments peaked at around 76% in 1981, and dropped to about 69% in 1939 and 1953, and dropped futher to around 59%. When compared to owned accommodation it accounted for the lowest percentage in 1981 with about 23% and increase slightly to around 33% and above 40% in 1961.
The following year ssw a change were they both leveled at 50%, and for that period owned accommodation overtook rented apartments with 69% in 1981, and almost 70% in 1991 and 2000, but dropped slightly to approximately 65% at the end of the period. While rented apartments had 40% of the share in 1991, and declined to about 33% in 200l, but increased slightly to around 38% in 2011.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the chart, including the overall trend and the crossover point. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you mention the period '1981 to 1961' (which is chronologically reversed) and cite incorrect percentages for specific years (e.g., claiming rented accommodation peaked at 76% in 1981, when the chart shows it was much lower). These factual errors hinder the clarity of the report. While you attempt to identify the main trends, the confusion regarding dates and figures prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your text with the provided data points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Additionally', and 'While'. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes confusing due to the chronological errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'The following year ssw a change'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the timeline of events. To improve, focus on using transition words more naturally and ensure that the chronological order of your description matches the timeline presented in the chart.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'accommodation', 'peaked', and 'declined'. However, there are some word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'owing' instead of 'owning' and 'ssw' instead of 'saw'. Additionally, the phrase 'the following period' is vague. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, the lack of precision and the presence of spelling errors limit the score. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and ensuring accurate spelling would enhance your lexical profile.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('household in rented apartments... had') and incorrect preposition usage. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas and the formatting of date ranges. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To reach a higher band, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that your sentence structures are consistently error-free.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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