Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-20

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 6.5)

The bar chart compares the proportions of owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.

Overall, the proportion of owner-occupied properties increased throughout the period until 2001, before falling slightly by 2011.

In 1918, over 20% of houses were owned, while the remaining were rented, accounting for nearly 78%. In the mid-20th century, the figure rose gradually for ownership, reaching approximately 32%, and the other 68% were rented. In 1961, the proportion of owned properties increased by 10%, accounting for roughly 42%, whereas the percentages for rented accommodation decreased from 68% to 58%.

By 1971, both rented and owned properties figures were at the same level, 50%. In 1991, more than 65% of people owned their private properties, rather than relying on rented houses, the proportion of which was nearly 32%. By the end of the period in 2011, the proportion of ownership was slightly decreased from 68% to 64%, while the portion of renting made up nearly 36%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all main parts of the chart, reporting key trends and making appropriate comparisons between owned and rented accommodation from 1918 to 2011. The overview clearly highlights the overall upward trend for ownership and the corresponding decline in renting until the final decade. Main features, such as the crossover point in 1971 where both stood at 50%, are accurately reported. Figures are generally well-supported with data from the text, such as the 1918 figures and the peak periods. However, there are minor numerical inaccuracies in some details, such as stating that in 1961 the percentages for rented accommodation decreased to 58% when the chart shows 59%, and mentioning 78% for renting in 1918 instead of 77%. Despite these minor discrepancies, the response fully addresses the prompt with a clear overview and relevant data selection.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory sentence defining the scope of the chart, followed by a concise overview paragraph, and then moves chronologically through the data periods. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related ideas, separating the early and mid-century figures from the later developments. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1918', 'In the mid-20th century', and 'By 1971' are employed effectively to guide the reader through the timeline. Referencing is clear, and the relationship between ideas is easy to follow, representing a well-structured and coherent piece of writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, incorporating terms such as 'proportions', 'owner-occupied properties', 'accommodation', and 'relying on'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some success, such as 'proportion of ownership' and 'corresponding'. There are occasional slight inaccuracies in word choice or phrasing, such as 'properties figures were at the same level' instead of 'the figures for both property types were equal', and 'slightly decreased from 68% to 64%' where the previous decade was 69%. Nevertheless, the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly and allows for some precision in reporting statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses such as 'while the remaining were rented, accounting for nearly 78%' and 'rather than relying on rented houses, the proportion of which was nearly 32%'. There is a good variety of grammatical forms used to express contrast and proportion. Grammatical control is generally strong with numerous error-free sentences, though a few minor awkward constructions and slight slips occur, such as 'both rented and owned properties figures were at the same level' which contains slight awkwardness in noun adjunct phrasing. Punctuation is accurate, and errors do not impede communication.

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