Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-25
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 graph provides data showing the percentage of households accommodation in England and Whales that are being owned or rented. The dataset ranges from the year 1918 to 2011.
Overall, in general it can be observed that number of people owning an accommodation is rising steadily and then number of people renting an accommodation is declining. Some variation to this generalisation can be observed in the years 1939, 1953 and 2011.
In the accommodation owning sector, it can be observed that there is a steady increase in this category until 1991. The only variation is in the year 1953 where 32% of the people own the accommodation which is similar to the year 1939. Otherwise the people owning an accommodation rises from 22% in 1918 to almost reaching 69% by the year 1991. By the year 2001 the percentage of households value seems to remain similar to 1991, but by 2011 it declines to 63%.
The accommodation renting sector is acting inversely proportional to the owning sector which means a steady decline can be observed until 1991 which goes from 75% to 31%. From this point a similar trend can be observed in the year 2011 where there is a marginal increase to 35%. In the year 1971 a point of crossing of the two categories can be observed at 50%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student covers all parts of the task well, selecting and reporting the main features of the chart with general accuracy. The overview clearly identifies the main trends—namely that home ownership rose steadily while renting declined, with specific points of interest noted. Key data points such as the crossover point in 1971 at 50% and the peak in 1991 are successfully captured. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in the transcription of data, such as stating that ownership rose from 22% in 1918 instead of 23%, and minor spelling errors in geographic terms ('Whales' instead of 'Wales'). Nonetheless, the response presents a clear and well-developed summary that successfully fulfills the requirements of Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs addressing the owned and rented accommodation sectors separately. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'Overall', 'In the accommodation owning sector', and 'The accommodation renting sector', which helps guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the main features. However, referencing and transitions are at times a bit mechanical, and expressions like 'acting inversely proportional to' show awkward cohesion and phrasing, preventing the score from reaching a higher band.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'percentage', 'households', 'decline', and 'steady increase'. There are also attempts at less common vocabulary and phrases, such as 'inversely proportional', 'sector', and 'marginal increase'. However, there are some noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'accommodation in England and Whales that are being owned' and minor inaccuracies in word choice. Despite these lapses, communication is not impeded, and the lexical range is sufficient to convey the main trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and comparative structures. There is good control over basic grammatical structures, and meaning is generally clear throughout the text. However, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing persist, such as 'percentage of households accommodation', 'number of people owning an accommodation is rising steadily and then number of people', and 'percentage of households value seems to remain similar'. These errors indicate that complex structures are not yet fully mastered, placing this response firmly in Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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