Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-23

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 proportion of households owning and renting accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.

Overall, there was a significant shift of households from renting to owing in the last 93 years. In the first 43 years, renting was on top, but in one period, both were in equal proportion.

In 1918, renting households surpassed the owning by a huge margin of around 50%. The figures in 1939 and 1953 were the same, with owning around 30% and renting at around 70%. In 1961, the figures for renting and owing were around 60% and around 40%, respectively, as compared to 1971, when the figures for both were the same at 50%.

In contrast,from 1981 the trend changed and owing was on upper hand. The figures for 1981,1991,2001 and 2011 in terms of owing were 60,around 70,around 70 and around 60%, respectively.The proportion for 1981,1991,2001 and 2011 about renting accomodation were 40,around 30,around 30 and around 35%,respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the chart well. You successfully identified the overall trend of the shift from renting to owning and highlighted key points like the 1971 crossover. However, the reporting of data is slightly inconsistent; for example, you mention 1939 and 1953 figures as being the same, but the chart shows a clear downward trend for renting during that period. Additionally, some data points are described as 'around' when more precision could be extracted from the graph. To improve, ensure you carefully verify the data points against the visual evidence and focus on grouping the data more logically to highlight the most significant changes over the 93-year period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, moving chronologically through the data. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In contrast' and 'respectively', to link information. However, the cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the 1961 data and the 1971 data is a bit abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would help improve the flow and make the relationships between the data points more explicit.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'surpassed', and 'significant shift'. However, there are some spelling errors, such as 'owing' instead of 'owning' and 'accomodation' instead of 'accommodation'. Additionally, some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'on top' or 'on upper hand'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure accuracy in spelling. Expanding your range to include more varied ways of describing trends—such as 'a steady decline', 'a sharp increase', or 'remained relatively stable'—would also enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as missing articles ('surpassed the owning') and punctuation errors (e.g., missing spaces after commas in '1981,1991,2001'). Some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'The proportion for 1981,1991,2001 and 2011 about renting accomodation were...'. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentence structures are grammatically sound. Practicing the use of complex sentences with accurate punctuation will help you demonstrate better control over your writing.

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