Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-06

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 graph illustrates the informartion about the owned and rented accomodation of households in the England and the Wales between 1981 and 2011.

Overall, the key feature is that the figure of rented accommodation decreased in the given time period, while households who owned their homes this proportion increased gradually but in 1971 this fraction was same.

To begin with, up to 20% residents of the England and the Wales lived in their own homes in 1918. In 1939 and 1953 this figure was same accounted for sligthly up to 30%. From 1961 this raction inclined gradually till 2001 which was almost 70% but in 2011 it fell to 70%.

Additionally, rented accommodation fraction declined gradually between the population of the England and the Wales. In 1981 almost 78% of the population lived in rented houses. After after few years in 1939 this figure declined accounted for almost 70% and it remained unchanged in 1953 also. Households of rented houses were accounted for almost 60% in 1961 but in 1971 households of owened accommodation and households of rented accommodation were at same figure which was 50%. From 1981 this fraction decreased till 2001 accounted for 30%. In 2011 again this proportion slightly rose which was almost 35%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response attempts to present an overview of the main features and trends, noting the overall increase in homeownership and the corresponding decrease in rented accommodation, along with the crossover point in 1971. However, there are notable inaccuracies in reporting the data. For example, the student states that the time period is between 1981 and 2011 (instead of 1918) and claims that in 2011 homeownership fell to 70% (when the chart shows 64%). Furthermore, some parts of the task are only partially addressed, and certain details are under-developed or imprecise. To reach the next level, the student needs to ensure greater accuracy when reporting data from visual aids and maintain consistency in dates and figures throughout the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to each trend. However, the overall progression is occasionally hindered by mechanical or repetitive use of cohesive devices, such as repeating transition phrases like 'To begin with' and 'Additionally'. Referencing can also be unclear, and some sentences do not link together smoothly. To improve in this criterion, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive links more naturally and ensure that the progression of ideas from one sentence to the next is logical and transparent without relying on rigid formulas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting words related to trends such as 'increased', 'decreased', 'declined', and 'proportion'. However, there are noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'informartion' instead of 'information', 'accomodation' instead of 'accommodation', and 'raction' instead of 'fraction'. Word choices are occasionally imprecise, which causes some minor difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher band, the writer must expand their lexical repertoire, use less common vocabulary with greater precision, and pay closer attention to standard spelling and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, with frequent reliance on basic patterns. When the student attempts more complex sentences, errors often occur, such as in the phrasing 'while households who owned their homes this proportion increased gradually' or 'After after few years'. There are also frequent errors with prepositions and articles, such as 'in the England and the Wales'. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, the student should practice constructing complex sentences accurately and focus on minimizing basic grammatical errors regarding subject-verb agreement and preposition use.

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

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