Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-08

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 given chart illustrates the percentage of households in owned and rented accomodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, it is clear that the percentage of households in owned accomodation increased significantly, before falling slightly. Meanwhile, the percentage of households in rented accomodation decreased by the end of the period.

Looking first at the households in rented accomodation, the figure started at the highest percentage of almost 78% in 1918 and then decreased dramatically to 31% in 2001, before rising to approximately 34% in 2011.

Turning to the households in owned accomodation, the figure stood at around 23% in 1918. The percentage then rose to almost 69% in 2001, before the percentage dropped to almost 65% by the end of 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two opposing trends and give a clear overview: ownership rises before a slight fall, while renting declines overall. The figures you include are generally grounded in the chart, including the 1918 starting points and the 2001 peaks/troughs. However, the response is only 108 words, below the required 150, and this limits how fully you report the main features. It also omits important stages, such as the equal 50% shares in 1971 and the plateau in ownership/renting between 1939 and 1953. The overview says renting decreased by the end, but the final rise to 36% means it is more accurate to say it fell overall, then recovered slightly. Add key comparisons and intermediate data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for rented and owned accommodation. Phrases such as “Overall,” “Looking first,” and “Turning to” make the progression easy to follow, and the reader can distinguish the two series. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent overall organisation. To show more flexible control, connect the two trends through direct comparisons rather than treating them almost entirely in isolation—for example, note that the proportions were equal in 1971 and that ownership later became the larger category. The short body paragraphs also leave little room to develop comparisons, so expanding the report would help the progression feel more complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “households,” “decreased,” “rose,” and “stood at,” and the meaning remains clear. There is some variation in how you describe movement, but the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive, particularly “the figure” and “the percentage.” “Decreased dramatically” is also stronger than the chart supports for the gradual decline across the period. The repeated spelling “accomodation” is incorrect; the correct spelling is “accommodation.” To improve, use a broader set of precise trend terms and comparisons, such as “fell steadily,” “reached a peak,” or “overtook,” while ensuring the strength of the wording matches the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

Your sentences are generally well controlled, and you use a mix of simple and complex forms. For example, “Overall, it is clear that … increased significantly, before falling slightly” and the sentence describing the 2001 figure before its 2011 change show effective use of subordinate and participial structures. Punctuation and tense are also consistent, and grammatical errors rarely interfere with meaning. The structures are nevertheless somewhat repetitive, with several sentences built around “the figure” followed by a sequence of past-tense verbs. To strengthen the range, vary sentence openings and use comparative clauses, such as “By 1971, ownership and renting each accounted for half of households.”

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