Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-25

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 5.0)

The bar graph represents the accommodation of the people of England and Wales and also the percentage of households which were owned and rented during the period between 1971–2011.

Overall, the graph shows significant fluctuation. In 1971, the number of households which were rented and owned was equal. The X-axis represents the percentage of household and Y-axis illustrates years.

In 1971, there was huge gap in the household which were owned and in which rents were living. About 22% of the households were private whereas nearly 71% households were rented. However, this situation got changed in 1939, 32% household were owned and nearly 68% were rented. Meanwhile, the trend followed in 1953.

In 1971, there were equal 50% of households which were owned and rented. In further years owned houses surpassed the rented house. In 2001, 68% percent households accommodation were private and nearly 32% were rented. In the next decade the owned households had declined. Almost 64% private houses were owned and 35% were rented.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to accurately interpret the provided chart. The introduction incorrectly states the date range as 1971–2011, whereas the chart covers 1918–2011. Furthermore, the data points cited are frequently inaccurate; for instance, the claim that 22% were private and 71% rented in 1971 contradicts the visual evidence. The description of trends is confusing and lacks a clear overview of the main features, such as the long-term shift from renting to owning and the subsequent stabilization. The response does not adequately highlight the key comparisons required by the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by factual inaccuracies and confusing transitions. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However' and 'Meanwhile', but they are sometimes applied incorrectly or in a way that does not reflect the actual relationship between the data points. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the shift between 'owned' and 'rented' categories, making the overall flow somewhat mechanical and difficult to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'number of households' and 'percentage of households' are used frequently. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'in which rents were living' and 'the trend followed in 1953', which are unnatural and imprecise. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic topic, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. Errors in terminology, such as confusing 'private' with 'owned', further impact the clarity of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'equal 50% of households' and 'In further years owned houses surpassed the rented house'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are often problematic, for example, 'the X-axis represents the percentage of household'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to distract the reader and indicate a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms.

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.