Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-06

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 6.5)

The bar chart compares the percentage of households in owned and rental accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, rented accommodation experienced a downward trend, while households in owned accommodation increased and had a rising trend. All data is given in percentages.

In 1918, owner-occupied housing was at its lowest figure which was 23%, after which it increased by nearly 10% in 1939. It remained in the same range in 1953 also, and surged to 41% after 8 years. It equaled rented ownership percentage in 1971, and surpassed it in 1981 with 60% figures. It reached its peak of 69% in 2001 and settled for 64% in 2011.

Rental accommodation was at its all time high in 1918 with 77%. It dipped to 68% in 1939 and remained the same in 1953, after which it experienced a fall of nearly 9% in 1961. It kept decreasing till 2001, in which it plunged into its lowest level of 31% and again increased a bit to 36%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. You have successfully identified the main trends—the inverse relationship between owned and rented accommodation—and provided relevant data points to support these observations. The overview is clear and effectively summarises the overall shift over the period. To reach a higher band, ensure that comparisons are more explicit; for instance, instead of just listing figures, you could highlight the specific point of intersection more dynamically or contrast the rates of change more sharply. Overall, the information is well-selected and the main features are clearly reported.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the two categories. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'after which', 'while', and 'in which', to link your sentences. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the connection between sentences is smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information is presented in a way that guides the reader through the data effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'surged', 'plunged', 'downward trend', and 'owner-occupied'. This allows for clear communication of the data. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'settled for' or 'equaled rented ownership percentage', which could be more precise. To achieve a higher score, incorporate a wider variety of less common lexical items related to trends and data reporting, and ensure that collocations are natural. The vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the meaning without difficulty.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free, though there are occasional minor slips, such as 'in which it plunged into its lowest level' (where 'to' would be more natural than 'into'). Your control of tense and punctuation is generally good, and your errors do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, aim to incorporate a greater variety of complex structures, such as participial phrases or more sophisticated relative clauses, while maintaining the high level of accuracy you have already demonstrated.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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