Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-07

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 COMPARES THE PROPORTION OF HOUSEHOLDS IN RENTED AND OWNED ACCOMMODATION IN THE COUNTRIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES FROM 1918 TO 2011.

OVERALL, IT CLEARLY SEEMS THAT EARLIER, THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS IN BOTH COUNTRIES, ENGLAND AND WALES, PREFERRED RENTAL HOUSING ACCOMMODATION. HOWEVER, A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF RESIDENTS GRADUALLY SHIFTED TO OWNED HOUSING BY 2011.

TO BEGIN WITH, IN THE YEAR 1918, NEARLY 80 PERCENT [%] OF RESIDENTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES CHOSE HOUSEHOLDS IN RENTED ACCOMMODATION, AND NEARLY 20 PERCENT PREFERRED OWNED HOUSING. MOVING FURTHER TO THE YEARS 1939 AND 1953, THE RATIO PLATEAUED AT ALMOST 70 AND 30 FOR RENTED AND OWNED HOUSEHOLD RESIDENCES.

SURPRISINGLY, IN 1971, BOTH OWNED AND RENTED HIT 50 PERCENT, WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS THE EQUAL LIKING FOR BOTH COUNTRIES. BY STARK CONTRAST, FROM 1981 TO 2001, OUT OF 70%, ALMOST 30% OF RESIDENTS SWITCHED TO RENTED HOUSING AND OTHERS TO OWNED HOUSING. MEANWHILE, THE RATIO DROPPED SLIGHTLY TO NEAR 60 PERCENT HOUSING OWNERSHIP AND RENTED HOUSING CLOSE TO 40 PERCENT, RESPECTIVELY.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You highlighted the significant shift from rental to ownership and noted the crossover point in 1971. However, the description of the period between 1981 and 2011 is confusing. You mention 'out of 70%, almost 30% of residents switched', which is mathematically unclear and does not accurately reflect the data trends for those specific years. To improve, ensure that your data reporting is precise and that you avoid vague phrasing when describing percentages, as this obscures the comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moving further', and 'By stark contrast' to guide the reader. However, the transition between ideas in the final paragraph is somewhat mechanical and the internal logic of the sentences is occasionally difficult to follow. For example, the phrase 'which clearly shows the equal liking for both countries' is slightly awkward as the data refers to households in England and Wales combined, not two separate countries. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, using terms like 'proportion', 'plateaued', and 'stark contrast'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'chose households' (which is not a standard collocation) and 'equal liking', which is an informal way to describe statistical parity. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'the figures converged' or 'a marked transition occurred'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your meaning is generally clear. There are some minor grammatical errors, such as the unnecessary use of brackets for '[%]' and the slightly awkward phrasing 'the ratio dropped slightly to near 60 percent housing ownership'. While these errors do not impede communication, they do limit the score. To improve, focus on ensuring that your comparative structures are grammatically sound and avoid unnecessary punctuation marks like brackets within the text.

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.