Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-12
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 given chart illustrates the proportion of household owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Overall, the picture displays the privately households in rented accommodation was sharply decreasing in all period of time, while households in owned accommodation was gradually increasing.
For instance, in 1918 the percentage of owned property was about 20% and people who lived in rented properties was almost 77% in both England and Wales. In 1971, both categories was remain same on the proportion of 50%. Half lived in privately rented property and remaining choose their own house.
In addition, 2011 was the era that house hold in rented property declined to 37% and people who lived in their own property was 67%. In the middle of that time trends was changed. Onwards from 1971, people dramatically moved to owned their property for living, while only few percentage of population that households i rented accommodation was good choice.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response successfully addresses the main features of the chart, identifying the overall trends (owned accommodation increasing, rented accommodation decreasing) and reporting key data points, such as the 1971 crossover point where both categories stood at 50%. Key figures are correctly identified for the start (1918) and end (2011) years. However, the explanation of the middle period is slightly imprecise and vague, stating that 'trends was changed' without fully clarifying the shifting dynamics of the two sectors. Despite this minor limitation in fully developing all supporting details, the task is reasonably covered, warranting a band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, moving from an introduction to an overall summary and then specific chronological details. Cohesive devices and transition markers are used, such as 'Overall,', 'For instance,', and 'In addition,', which help structure the narrative. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in the phrasing 'In the middle of that time trends was changed.' Paragraphing is attempted, but logical progression between ideas is occasionally hindered by abrupt transitions and awkward sentence links. These coherence issues place the response firmly at band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic concepts related to housing trends, percentages, and proportions (e.g., 'proportion', 'category', 'declined'). However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'privately households in rented accommodation', 'remaining choose their own house', and 'house hold in rented property'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary often result in unnatural phrasing. While communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of lexical inaccuracies prevents the score from exceeding band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent errors in verb tense, agreement, and voice, such as 'both categories was remain same', 'people who lived in rented properties was almost 77%', and 'households i rented accommodation'. The phrase 'people dramatically moved to owned their property' demonstrates faulty complex structures. These errors frequently cause difficulty for the reader and indicate that simple structures are handled better than complex ones, justifying a band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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