Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-19
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 illustrate the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales over a 93 year period between 1918 and 2011. The units are measured in percentage.
Overall, there was a significant upward trend regarding the households in owned accommodation throughout a 93 year period. To illustrate, the households in owned accommodation rising from aroound 20% to peak at around 70% in 2001, and recorded a minor fluctuation in 2011. Conversely, the households in rented accommodation accounted a substantial downward trend between 1918 and 2011. In 1918, the households in rented accommodation rose with approximately 80% to decline at around 30% in 2001. However, the percentage of the households in rented accommodation showed a slight increase in 2011 experienced with around 35% of households. By 2011, the households in owned accommodation constituted a slight decline, on the contrast, the households in rented accommodation was drastically increased by around 5% more compared to 2001. In addition, the percentage of the households in owned and rented accommodation standed a same percentage in 1971.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main trends and making appropriate comparisons between owned and rented accommodation over the 93-year period. An overview is provided, noting the significant upward trend in homeownership and the corresponding downward trend in renting. Key features, such as the peak at around 70% in 2001 and the intersection of the two lines in 1971 where both stood at 50%, are accurately highlighted. While there are a few minor inaccuracies in phrasing and minor data approximations, the core information is well-covered and fully grounded in the provided chart, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and body details. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'To illustrate', 'Conversely', and 'However'. However, some cohesive links and transitional phrases are awkward or mechanically deployed, such as 'experienced with around 35% of households' and 'on the contrast'. Paragraphing is somewhat rudimentary, but the overarching progression is logical enough to ensure that the relationship between information and ideas is clear, aligning with the Band 6 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common items such as 'fluctuation', 'substantial', and 'constituted'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices throughout the text, such as 'accounted a substantial downward trend', 'rose with approximately 80%', and 'standed a same percentage'. Spelling is generally correct, but word-formation and collocation errors prevent the lexical score from reaching the higher bands, placing this response firmly at Band 5.5 to 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and participial structures. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including subject-verb agreement and tense/voice issues, such as 'The given chart illustrate', 'households in owned accommodation rising', 'rented accommodation accounted a substantial downward trend', and 'was drastically increased'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent grammatical slips mean the response sits at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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