Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-16

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 7.0)

The bar chart illustrates the percentages of households living in owner-occupied and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, the proportion of owner-occupied households increased substantially throughout the period, whereas the percentage of rented homes followed the opposite trend. The two figures became equal in 1971, at 50%.

In 1918, only about 23% of households owned their homes, compared with approximately 78% living in rented accommodation. The proportion of owner-occupied homes then rose gradually, reaching around 31% in 1939 and 42% in 1961. By 1971, ownership and renting accounted for an equal 50% of households.

After 1971, the percentage of owner-occupied homes continued to increase, reaching approximately 69% in 2001. However, this figure fell slightly to around 64% in 2011. In contrast, rented accommodation declined to about 31% in 2001 before rising modestly to approximately 36% in 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the chart well, identifying the key trends and providing relevant data points for comparison. The overview is clear and highlights the significant shift in housing trends. However, the response is 142 words long, failing to meet the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length issue negatively impacts the task achievement score, as the analysis is slightly truncated and lacks the depth expected for a full-length response. To improve, ensure you expand on the data points or provide a more detailed summary of the trends to comfortably exceed the word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the data chronologically. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', and 'after 1971' are used effectively to guide the reader through the trends. The progression of ideas is smooth, and each paragraph has a clear central topic. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for this task type. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is even more seamless, perhaps by using more sophisticated linking phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for an academic report. Phrases like 'owner-occupied households', 'followed the opposite trend', and 'rose gradually' demonstrate a good range of topic-specific language. The student avoids repetition and uses precise terms to describe the data. While the range is sufficient, it does not consistently demonstrate the 'less common' or 'sophisticated' lexical items required for a band 8.0 or higher. Incorporating more varied synonyms for 'increase' or 'decrease' and more nuanced reporting verbs would enhance the lexical quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response displays a good command of grammatical structures. There is a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as the use of subordinate clauses in 'the proportion of owner-occupied homes then rose gradually, reaching around 31% in 1939'. Punctuation is accurate, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. The sentences are generally error-free, which is a strong point. To achieve a higher band, the student could experiment with a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as using passive voice or more advanced conditional or relative clauses to describe the trends.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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