Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-23

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 illustrates the proportion of households in owned and rented the accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, there was clear reversal in housing tenure. Rented accommodation was domainant in the early 20 th century, but houseownership became more common from 1971 onwards, peaking around 2001 before slight decline.

In 1918, rented household were nearly 78%, while only about 23% owned their home. This pattern remained stable until 1953, with rented accommodation still accounting for around 68-69% and owned at about 32-33%.

From 1961, The percentage of owners rose steadily to about 40% while renters fell to 60%. In 1971, the two figures were almost equal, both at around 50%.

After 1971, trend reversed completely, The proportion of household in owned accommodation increased sharply to 62% in 1981 and reached a peak of about 70% in 1991 and 71% in 2001. In contrast, rented accommodation fell to its lowest point of about 34% in both 1991 and 2001.

In 2011, there was a slight reversal again. Homeownership dropped to 67%. While renting increased to about 38% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear summary of the main features and making relevant comparisons across the entire period from 1918 to 2011. An overview is present in the second paragraph, highlighting the major shift in housing tenure. Key data points are correctly identified and contrasted, such as the dominance of renting in 1918 (around 77% compared to 23% owned) and the inversion of this trend by 1971 and subsequent decades. While a few specific figures contain minor discrepancies compared to the exact transcription data (e.g., peak values around 2001), these do not detract from a coherent and well-supported overview of the chart's primary trends. The response successfully satisfies the requirements for Task Achievement at a Band 7.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression from the introduction and overview through to specific chronological body paragraphs and a concluding summary of the final year. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different time periods. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'In 1918', 'From 1961', 'After 1971', and 'In contrast', which help guide the reader through the data. However, there are some minor mechanical errors in cohesion and punctuation, such as comma splices ('...trend reversed completely, The proportion...'), which prevent the response from reaching the higher bands. Overall, the logical structure is clear and easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 7.0 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for Task 1, using terms such as 'proportion', 'housing tenure', 'homeownership', and 'fluctuate or rise steadily'. There are successful attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some awkward phrasing and word choices occur, such as 'rented the accommodation', 'domainant' (spelling error), and 'slight reversal again'. Spelling and word-choice errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student should strive for greater precision in lexical collocation and eliminate minor typographical errors. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 6.5 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with varying degrees of accuracy. The student successfully constructs complex sentences using subordinate clauses and introductory time phrases. However, there are notable grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text, including article misuse ('there was clear reversal'), spelling/form errors ('rented household were'), comma splices ('...dropped to 67%. While renting...'), and misuse of the word 'respectively' at the end of the final sentence. While these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the paper from achieving a Band 7.0. The control of grammar corresponds to a Band 6.0.

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