Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-18
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 offers insights into the data of owned and rented households accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.
Overall it is evident that the proportion of households in owned and rented accommodation changed dramatically by increasing and decreasing respectively in those years.
In 1918 about 22% of the households accommodation were owned. Then, from 1939 to 1953 the percentage remained steady which was about 31%. After that it experienced a significant growth by reaching at about 69% in 2011. Thereafter, it underwent slight decrease to about 63% in 2011.
On the other hand, in 1918 households in rented accommodation were roughly 78%. After that in 1939 and 1953 in remained same at about 69%. Then it underwent a huge decline in 2001 by reaching about 31%. In 2011 it went up slightly at approximately 35%. Meanwhile in 1971, the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation remained same which was 50%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the chart, including the overall trends and key data points. You successfully identified the starting and ending points and noted the crossover point in 1971. However, there are significant factual errors in your reporting of the data. For instance, you state that the owned accommodation reached 69% in 2011, but then immediately claim it underwent a slight decrease to 63% in the same year, which is contradictory and confusing. Additionally, the description of the rented accommodation trends contains inaccuracies regarding the specific years and percentages. To improve, ensure that your data extraction is precise and that your summary of trends aligns consistently with the provided visual information.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1918', 'After that', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by the factual inconsistencies mentioned in the task achievement section. The transition between the description of owned and rented accommodation is clear, but the internal cohesion within the paragraphs is occasionally mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring that the logical flow is supported by accurate data reporting, which will make your comparisons more coherent and easier to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'remained steady', 'significant growth', and 'underwent a huge decline'. These choices are generally appropriate for a report on statistical data. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'households accommodation' (should be 'household accommodation' or 'households') and 'reaching at about' (should be 'reaching about'). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your writing. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and adverbs would help you achieve a more sophisticated tone.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'in remained same' (should be 'it remained the same') and 'it went up slightly at' (should be 'it went up slightly to'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositions. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing statistical changes, as these are common areas where accuracy can be refined.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.