Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-17

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 7.0)

The bar chart illustrates the percentage of households living in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.Overall, the proportion of households living in owned accommodation increased considerably, while the figure for rented accommodation followed the opposite trend. The two figures became equal at one point, followed by a slight reversal in the final year. In 1918, 22% of households lived in owned accommodation, compared with 78% who rented their homes. The proportion of homeowners then rose to 31% in 1939 and remained almost unchanged at 32% in 1953. It subsequently increased to 42% in 1961 and reached 50% in 1971. By contrast, the percentage of rented households declined from 78% in 1918 to 69% in 1939 and 68% in 1953. It then fell further to 58% in 1961, before reaching 50% in 1971. From 1981 onwards, the proportion of households in owned accommodation continued to rise, reaching 58% in 1981 and 68% in 1991. It peaked at 69% in 2001 before falling slightly to 64% in 2011. Meanwhile, the percentage of rented households decreased from 42% in 1981 to 32% in 1991 and 31% in 2001. However, this figure increased slightly to 36% in 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and reporting the main features and trends of the bar chart. Key data points, such as the starting figures in 1918, the crossover point at 50% in 1971, and the final figures in 2011, are accurately reported. The comparisons between owned and rented accommodation are made effectively throughout the text, meeting all requirements for an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically sequenced, moving smoothly from the overall trends to specific chronological data. However, the text suffers from a lack of paragraphing, appearing as a single dense block of text. While cohesive devices such as 'meanwhile', 'subsequently', and 'by contrast' are used effectively to show progression and comparison, the absence of paragraph breaks prevents the cohesion from being fully well-managed and appropriate.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for Task 1, including terms like 'proportion', 'considerably', 'reversal', and 'homeowners'. Word choice is generally accurate, and phrases such as 'followed the opposite trend' and 'remained almost unchanged' demonstrate an adequate control of vocabulary to convey trends and comparisons clearly without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writer demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures, using a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively. Examples such as 'In 1918, 22% of households lived in owned accommodation, compared with 78% who rented their homes' show a variety of clauses used accurately. Grammatical accuracy is high throughout, with the majority of sentences error-free and punctuation used correctly.

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