Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

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

Overall. home ownership grew significantly over the period , while the rented housing dropped. After some time both reached an equal percentage, after which owning a house became more common than renting.

In 1918, about 77% people rented their homes, while only 23% people owned them. Renting stayed high until 1953, but slowly decreased over time until 1971 it hit 50%, matching home ownership.

In 1981, their was a visible increase in the percentage of home ownership which was about 60%, while renting percentage was decreased to 40%. After 1971, owning house became main choice. It reached its peak value in the year 2001, while renting fell to its lowest point at about 31%. By 2011, home ownership dropped slightly to 64%.

On the other hand, renting rose to 36% in 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the data well, identifying the key trends and the point of intersection between the two categories. You successfully highlighted the start and end points, as well as the peak for home ownership. However, the overview could be more precise; for instance, stating 'after some time' is vague. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points mentioned are accurate and that the overview provides a clearer summary of the overall trend rather than just describing the sequence of events. You have addressed the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'On the other hand' and 'In 1918' to guide the reader. However, the transition between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the paragraphing could be improved by ensuring each paragraph focuses on a distinct aspect of the data. The use of referencing is generally clear, but some sentences feel slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would enhance the flow of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'significantly', 'peak value', and 'accommodation'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'renting percentage was decreased' (should be 'the percentage of rented housing decreased') and 'owning house became main choice' (should be 'home ownership became the primary choice'). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your meaning clearly, but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'their was a visible increase' (should be 'there was'), '77% people' (should be '77% of people'), and missing articles before 'rented housing'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and common homophone errors like 'their' versus 'there'.

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

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