Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-04

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 given bar chart illustrates the details about the proportion of households in owned and rented in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011. The units are measured in percentages.

At a glance, it is evident that the trend showed fluctuations. Rent accommodation had depicted the higgest ration in former year. Additionally, the lowest percentage was of owned accommodation.

To commence with, after analysing the chart it can bi clearly seen that around 24% of houneholds were covered by own in 1918 which increased to 32% in 1939 and remained constant in 1953. After that, the percentage of households gradually rose up from 32% to approximately 68% in 2001 and finally declined to 63% in 2011.

Probing ahead to further details, there was a different of about 10% in terms of rent accommodation between 1918 and 1939, where the higgest ration was in 1918. then, it remained stable in 1953. Furthermore, the proportion of household by own reduced from 68% to 32% in 1991 which levelled of at 32% in 2001 and lastly surge to 36% in 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task partially, attempting to present an overview and select main features, but it lacks sufficient development and clarity in several areas. While the writer correctly identifies some trends, such as the rise in owned accommodation and the decline in rented accommodation, there are inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, the text claims that the percentage of households in owned accommodation declined to 63% in 2011 (actually 64%) and contains confusion regarding the data for rented versus owned accommodation in the final paragraph. Additionally, the overview is limited to a single sentence stating that the trend showed fluctuations, which does not fully capture the broader shifts over the 93-year period. To reach a higher band, the response needs to present a clearer and more accurate overview of the main trends without data misreadings, and provide a more fully developed account of the comparisons between the two housing types.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement and attempts to organise information into logical paragraphs, though the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by unclear referencing. The writer uses standard cohesive devices such as "At a glance", "To commence with", and "Probing ahead to further details", which provide a basic framework for the text, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or awkward. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, overview, and body details, but within the paragraphs, the connection between sentences is occasionally weakened by imprecise pronouns or contradictory statements. To improve cohesion, the writer should ensure that cohesive devices are used more naturally and that the logical link between consecutive points is maintained more clearly throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, providing a basic range of terms related to housing and statistics, such as "proportion", "percentage", "constant", and "gradually". However, there are noticeable lexical errors, awkward word choices, and spelling mistakes that impede communication at times. Examples include "higgest ration" instead of "highest proportion", "houneholds" for households, and confusing terms like "rent accommodation" or "household by own". Furthermore, phrases like "levelled of" (levelled off) and "surge" (surged) demonstrate limited control over word forms and tense consistency in vocabulary. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to expand their lexical range, eliminate spelling errors, and use precise collocations and word forms appropriate for academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response employs a limited range of sentence structures, mixing simple sentences with occasional attempts at complex forms. However, these complex structures are frequently faulty, leading to grammar errors that can cause difficulty for the reader. There are issues with verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, such as "the trend showed fluctuations" used alongside tense shifts, "there was a different of about 10%" (difference), and "which levelled of at 32% in 2001 and lastly surge to 36%". Punctuation is generally basic, and grammatical slips occur with some frequency throughout the response. To progress to the next level, the writer should aim to produce a wider variety of complex structures with greater accuracy, ensuring better control over verb forms and grammatical agreements.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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