Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The bar chart reveals the percentage of households 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 households 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 covers all key features of the chart, reporting the main trends and making appropriate comparisons between owned and rented accommodation over the 1918-2011 period. The overview is clearly stated in the second paragraph, capturing the main shift from rented to owned homes. Data points are cited accurately overall, such as the starting figures in 1918 (23% and 77%) and the crossover point in 1971 (50% each). However, there are a few minor inaccuracies in the figures cited in the body paragraphs, such as stating home ownership reached 65% in 2011 when the chart shows 64%. Despite these minor data slips, the response fully addresses the requirements of Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific time periods. Information and ideas progress logically throughout the text. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'However', 'In contrast', and 'After 1971', though some punctuation and structural links are slightly faulty, as seen in the sentence fragment 'In 2011 rising slightly to approximately 35%.' Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different periods and trends.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, including terms such as 'percentage', 'homeowners', 'accommodation', 'gradually', and 'significantly'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and appropriate reporting verbs. However, there are some minor word choice and morphological inaccuracies, such as 'households in owned accommodation is significantly increase' instead of 'increased'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using temporal clauses and comparative structures effectively. While there are a number of error-free sentences, several grammatical and punctuation errors occur, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('households... is higher', 'households... is significantly increase') and a sentence fragment at the end of the text ('In 2011 rising slightly...'). Nevertheless, these errors do not impede communication.

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