Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The bar chart reveals the percentage of household in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, households in rented accommodation is higher between 1918 to 1961. However, from 1991 to 2011 households in owned accommodation is significantly increase.

In 1918, only 23% of household owned their homes, whereas approximately 77% of households lived in rented homes. The percentage of homeowners then rose gradually, reaching around 32% in both 1939 and 1953. By 1961, it had increased to about 42%, while the figure for rented homes fell to roughly 58%. In 1971, the two figures were equal at 50%.

After 1971, home ownership continued to increase significantly. It reached about 61% in 1981 and then rose to approximately 69% in 1991. The figure peaked at around 70% in 2001 before falling slightly to 65% in 2011. In contrast, rented accommodation declined to about 41% in 1981 and remained at around 30–32% during the 1990s and 2000s. In 2011 rising slightly to approximately 35%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features, selecting appropriate data points, and making relevant comparisons across the period from 1918 to 2011. An overview is provided, noting the shift from rented to owned accommodation as the dominant tenure type. Key data points, such as the crossover point in 1971 (50% each) and the peak of home ownership in 2001, are accurately captured and compared. Minor discrepancies in the figures (e.g. stating 2011 home ownership fell to 65% when the data shows 64%, or mentioning 41% rented in 1981 instead of 40%) fall within acceptable limits of approximation for visual data tasks. The progression of ideas is clear and fully supported by the provided data, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised with a clear overarching progression from the beginning of the period to the end. Information is grouped sensibly into an introduction, an overview, and distinct body paragraphs covering the timelines. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to guide the reader through the data, such as 'In 1918', 'whereas', 'By 1961', 'After 1971', and 'In contrast'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different periods and trends. However, some minor awkwardness in referencing and transitions prevents a higher band, such as the fragmented sentence structure at the very end ('In 2011 rising slightly to approximately 35%'). Overall, the logical flow and cohesion are clear throughout, justifying a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited to an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms such as 'percentage', 'homeowners', 'accommodation', 'tenure', 'gradually', and 'fluctuated'. Less common lexical items and phrases are attempted with general success, such as 'rose gradually', 'peaked', and 'declined'. However, there are some minor lexical and grammatical word-form inaccuracies, such as writing 'percentage of household' instead of 'households', and 'households in owned accommodation is significantly increase' instead of 'increased'. Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the information clearly and precisely, matching the descriptors for Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses and comparative structures (e.g., 'whereas approximately 77% of households lived in rented homes' and 'The percentage of homeowners then rose gradually'). There are several noticeable grammatical errors, particularly tense and verb form inconsistencies, such as 'households in rented accommodation is higher' and 'households in owned accommodation is significantly increase'. Additionally, a sentence fragment occurs at the end: 'In 2011 rising slightly to approximately 35%.' While these errors occur regularly, they rarely impede communication of the overall trends. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

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