Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-02
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 graph illustrates the percentage of household in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2001.
Overall from the bar graph it is evident that both owned and rented accommodation had been fluctuated in its percentage over the years. The percentage of owned accommodation peaked in the year 2001 while the rented accommodation peaked in the year 1918.
In 1918 rented accommodation has its highest percentage more than 75% while the owned accommodation had its least percentage around 20%. This trend has been followed for almost decade in 1939. During 1939 rented accommodation had a slight drop below 70% and owned accommodation had moderate increase over 30%. This same trend was followed for almost 2 decade till 1961. Later in 1971 both the accommodation had almost same half percent.
Moreover in 1981 the owned accommodation rose to 60% while Rented decreased to below 40%. This same pattern continued till 2001. owned accommodation gets peaked with near 70% and Rented House with its lowest percentage of owned just above 30%. These trend changed in the year 2011 owned accommodation had a high drop to 65% and rented increases to above 35%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the trends for owned and rented accommodation. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. You mention that trends 'fluctuated', but the data shows a clear, long-term inverse relationship between the two categories, which should be highlighted more explicitly. Additionally, there are inaccuracies in your data reporting; for instance, you state the rented accommodation peaked in 1918, which is correct, but your description of the 1971 data as 'half percent' is unclear and confusing. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a more precise summary of the key trends and comparisons rather than just listing data points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the chronological progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'This same trend was followed', 'This same pattern continued'). The transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow of ideas. While the overall arrangement is logical, the lack of varied linking words makes the writing feel a bit disjointed. Using a wider range of cohesive devices, such as 'consequently', 'in contrast', or 'subsequently', would help to better connect your observations.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'peaked', 'drop', and 'increase'. There are also some awkward collocations and phrasing, such as 'had its least percentage' (should be 'lowest percentage') and 'both the accommodation had almost same half percent'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to trends, such as 'a significant decline', 'a steady climb', or 'remained relatively stable'. The errors in word choice do not impede communication, but they do limit the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('in year 2001'), incorrect verb tenses ('had been fluctuated'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('rented increases'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of capital letters in the middle of sentences (e.g., 'Rented decreased'). While the meaning remains clear, these persistent errors prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring consistent verb tenses will significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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