Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-24
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 bar chart illustrates the percentage of households that owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Overall, it is clear that the percentage of homeowners increased over the period, while the proportion of rented accommodation declined. The two figures became equal in 1971.
On the one hand, in 1918 the number of householders in rented accommodation showed a significant growth by approximately 79 percent in contrast with the percentage of householders having their own residence with only 21 percent. Between 1939 and 1961, the percentage of householders with rented homes declined slightly from 69% to 59%, while the percentage of house owners increased from 31% to 42%. In 1971, both householders showed an equal proportion at 50%.
In contrast, the householders with rental accommodation continued to decline from 40% to 31% till the year 2001 and then increased by 33% in 2011, following that the figure of residents with their own homes continued to increase from 60% to 69% untill the year 200, and then fluctuated and showed a slight decrease to 62%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student provides a clear overview of the main trends shown in the chart, noting that homeownership increased while renting declined, and correctly identifying the crossover point in 1971. However, there are some noticeable misinterpretations and inaccuracies when reporting specific data points. For instance, in the third paragraph, the writer states that in 1918 rented accommodation was 'approximately 79 percent' and owned was '21 percent', whereas the chart actually shows 77% and 23% (which are close, but minor data slips occur). More critically, the final paragraph contains confused figures and years, referring to 'untill the year 200' and inaccurate percentages for 2011. While the main features are covered, these data errors and some confusion in the final timeframe limit the task response to a Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has an overall logical arrangement, starting with an introduction and a clear overview paragraph, followed by body paragraphs detailing the data. Cohesive devices and transition signals are used, such as 'Overall', 'On the one hand', and 'In contrast', though the latter is used somewhat mechanically and inappropriately in the final paragraph where no true contrast is intended. Paragraphing is attempted, but the text is divided into a somewhat disjointed structure where the final paragraph is slightly cramped and confusingly sequenced. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression breaks down towards the end due to confused data reporting. This performance fits the Band 6 descriptor well.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'illustrates', 'proportion', 'homeowners', and 'fluctuated'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation, such as 'the number of householders in rented accommodation' (instead of percentage of households), and repetitive phrasing like 'percentage of householders'. There are also minor spelling and typographical errors, such as 'untill' and 'year 200' (instead of 2001). Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures like 'while the proportion of rented accommodation declined' and 'following that the figure of residents...'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are errors in prepositional usage and verb tense consistency, alongside awkward structural transitions in the final sentence. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical errors occasionally cause slight confusion for the reader, particularly when combined with inaccurate numbers. This reflects the characteristics of Band 6 grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.