Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates the percentage of house that are either owned or rented, over a 93 year time period from 1918 to 2011.

Overall, the percentage of houses rented has halved from 1918 followed by owned house which has tripled over since 1918.

In the early to mid 20th Century there were more people living in rented houses than owned, the highest was in 1918 with a percentage of 78%, whereas people living in owned houses were at only 22%. Between 1939 and 1953 the percentage of rented accommodation had dropped to 68%, whereas owned accommodation had rose to 32%. By 1971, both were at an equal percentage of 50%.

By 1981, the percentage of owned houses saw a increase to 60% followed by rentals falling by another 10%, this trend remained the same for both kinds of accommodation with rentals dropping to 32% and owned houses rising to 67%. In 2001, rented accommodation had hit a all time low at 31% with owned houses reaching an all time high with 69%, followed by a decrease in owned properties in 2011 at 64% and a rise in rented properties by 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the data, including the initial state, the crossover point in 1971, and the final trends. The overview is clear and highlights the main inverse relationship between the two categories. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in the data reporting; for instance, the text states that rented accommodation hit an all-time low in 2001 at 31%, but the chart shows 32% for 2001 and 31% for 1991. Additionally, the description of the 1981-2011 period is slightly confusing in its phrasing. Despite these minor slips, the main trends are well-identified and the response effectively summarizes the information provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, moving from a general overview to specific chronological details. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction/overview from the body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'by', and 'followed by' are used to link ideas, although some transitions are slightly repetitive. The progression of information is clear, and the reader can easily follow the development of the trends over time. The use of referencing is generally effective, though some sentences could be more smoothly connected to improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more precise reporting language such as 'tripled', 'halved', and 'all-time low'. However, there are some word choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'owned house which has tripled over since 1918' (should be 'owned houses') and 'owned accommodation had rose' (should be 'had risen'). While the range is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score. Spelling is generally accurate, but the control over word forms needs improvement.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, such as 'owned accommodation had rose' and 'percentage of house that are'. The use of 'a increase' instead of 'an increase' and 'a all time low' are also noticeable errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. A wider variety of error-free complex structures would be needed for a higher score.

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