Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-30
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 chart illustrated the percentage of housholds in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Overall, the number of household that rented accommodation were significantly higher than that for who owned. Whereas the households who owned accommodation showed a substainsial growth throughout the period.
In 1918, the share of rented accommodation were the highest, accounted at around 80%, Whereas the figure for owned accommodation remained at 22%. Following years the rented accommodation of households gradually keep decreasing, while the owned accommodation of rented households it rose from 22% to almost 40% in 1961.
In 1971, the rented and owner accommodation they remained at similar level. After decade owned accommodation saw a noticeable increase. In contrast, rented households of owner fell to around at 35% whereas the owned accounted for above 60% in 2011.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student covers the main trends in the chart, noting the overall shift from rented to owned accommodation between 1918 and 2011. Key data points are generally reported, such as the initial high percentage of rented accommodation in 1918 (around 80%) and the crossing point in 1971. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting figures (e.g., stating the 1918 owned figure was 22% when it was 23%, and confusing terminology such as 'rented households of owner'). Furthermore, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 138 words. This under-length impacts task completion, limiting the development of the overview and comparisons. Overall, the task is addressed partially, corresponding to a Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical introduction, overview, and body structure. Cohesive devices are used to signal time and contrast, such as 'In 1918', 'Following years', and 'In contrast'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward phrasing like 'while the owned accommodation of rented households it rose' and 'rented households of owner fell'. Paragraphing is present, but the logical progression within sentences is occasionally disrupted by confusing grammatical links and word order. This level of organization and mechanical cohesion aligns with Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student attempts a range of vocabulary relevant to the topic, including 'accommodation', 'percentage', 'growth', and 'decrease'. There are noticeable spelling errors ('housholds', 'substainsial') and frequent word choice and collocation errors (e.g., 'substainsial growth', 'owned accommodation of rented households', 'rented households of owner'). Less common vocabulary is attempted but used inaccurately, which occasionally causes confusion for the reader. The lexical range is adequate for the task but limited by inaccuracies, placing it firmly at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory time phrases. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The chart illustrated', 'the number of household... were significantly higher', 'the share of rented accommodation were'), incorrect prepositions ('accounted at', 'around at'), and awkward sentence structures. While these errors do not completely obscure the overall meaning, they occur frequently enough to impede smooth reading. This performance fits the Band 5.0 descriptors.
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