Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-27

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 illustrates the proportion of people living either in a rented or a owned appartment in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.

Overall, it is evident that the figure for households in owned accommodation increased considerably, before decling slightly at the end. However, the percentage of people in rented accommodation declined gradually over the given period.

To begin with, citizens in owned accommodation represented nearly 22 percent in 1918, which then rose notably to approximately 31 percent in 1939 and 1953, respectively. This figure then increased considerably to exactly 50 percent in 1971, which then grew rapidly to reach a peak of around 69 percent in 2001, before declining back to around 65 percent by 2011.

In contrast, the proportion of citizens residing in rented house stood at nearly 78 percent in 1918, thereby dropping significantly to around 69 percent in 1939 and remained same until 1953. Furthermore, this proportion fell drastically to approximately 31 percent in 2001, thereafter recovering slightly to around 36 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, the households shared same proportion, at 50 percent, in 1971.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons between households in owned and rented accommodation from 1918 to 2011. An appropriate overall trend is stated, noting the rise in homeownership and the corresponding decline in renting. Key data points are accurately cited, such as the starting figures in 1918, the crossing point where both accommodation types stood at 50 percent in 1971, and the peak of homeownership in 2001. The figures are generally well-selected and support the response effectively, though minor inaccuracies in precise percentages (e.g., stating 22 percent instead of 23 percent) are minor and typical of visual data reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organised with a clear overall progression. The introduction paraphrases the prompt well, followed by a clear overview paragraph and two body paragraphs that detail the trends chronologically. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different accommodation types and periods. A variety of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', and 'Meanwhile' are employed to guide the reader through the data, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends and proportions, including terms like 'proportion', 'considerably', 'declined gradually', and 'peak'. However, there are some minor lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'an owned appartment' instead of 'owned accommodation' (as the chart refers to houses/households rather than apartments) and 'rented house' instead of 'rented accommodation'. Spelling is generally accurate, with the exception of 'decling'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'which then rose notably to approximately 31 percent...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, and control of grammar and punctuation is generally good. However, minor errors persist, such as article usage and prepositions (e.g., 'rented house' instead of 'rented houses' or 'rented accommodation'), and occasional repetitive linking structures ('which then... which then...'). These errors do not impede communication.

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