Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-17

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)

IN THIS BAR CHART ILLUSTRATES THE PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS LIVING IN OWNED AND RENTED ACCOMMODATION IN ENGLAND AND WALES BETWEEN 1918 AND 2011. OVERALL, HOME OWNERSHIP INCREASED CONSIDERABLY OVER THE PERIOD, WHILE THE PROPORTION OF RENTED ACCOMMODATION GENERALLY DECLINED. THE TWO FIGURES BECAME EQUAL IN 1971.

ON THE ONE HAND, IN 1918, ONLY 22% OF HOUSEHOLDS OWNED THEIR HOMES, COMPARED WITH 78% THAT RENTED. THE PERCENTAGE OF HOMEOWNERS INCREASED GRADUALLY TO 31% IN 1939 AND 32% IN 1953, BEFORE RISING TO 42% IN 1961. BY 1971, THE FIGURE HAD REACHED 50%, WHILE RENTING HAD FALLEN TO THE SAME LEVEL. AFTER THIS POINT, OWNERSHIP CONTINUED TO RISE, REACHING 60% IN 1981 AND APPROXCIMATELY 68% IN 1991.

ON THE OTHER HAND, HOME OWNERSHIP PEAKED AT AROUND 69% IN 2001, WHEREAS RENTED ACCOMMODATION FELL TO ABOUT 31%. HOWEVER, BY 2011, THE PROPORTION OF HOMEOWNERS HAD DECREASED SLIGHTLY TO 65%, WHILE RENTING INCREASED TO 35%. DESPITE THIS SMALL CHANGE, OWNING A HOME REMAINED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE COMMON THAN RENTING AT THE END OF THE PERIOD

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You highlighted the key turning point in 1971 and correctly contrasted the inverse relationship between owned and rented accommodation. The data is accurately reported, and you have made relevant comparisons throughout the response. To reach a higher band, ensure that you avoid using capital letters for the entire text, as this is unconventional and distracting. Additionally, while you covered the main features well, ensure that your overview is distinct and clearly separated from the body paragraphs to improve the structure of your summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary of the trends. You used cohesive devices such as 'on the one hand', 'on the other hand', 'whereas', and 'however' effectively to guide the reader through the data. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving chronologically through the time periods provided. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the data. The use of cohesive devices is generally flexible, though the overall flow could be slightly more sophisticated with a wider variety of linking phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the trends, such as 'increased considerably', 'generally declined', 'peaked', and 'proportion'. This allows for some precision in your reporting. There is one spelling error ('APPROXCIMATELY'), which is a minor slip. You demonstrate an awareness of style appropriate for an academic report. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' (e.g., 'surged', 'plummeted', 'fluctuated') to demonstrate a wider lexical range and avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good control of complex structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses ('while renting had fallen', 'whereas rented accommodation fell'). Most of your sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is generally accurate. However, the opening sentence contains a grammatical error: 'IN THIS BAR CHART ILLUSTRATES...' should be 'This bar chart illustrates...'. The use of all-caps throughout the text is a significant stylistic issue that affects the presentation. Aside from this, your control over grammar is strong, and you show a good ability to combine simple and complex sentence forms.

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