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 bar graph illustrates the proportion of households in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011 in owned and rented accommodation.

Overall, it is clear that the majority of people preferred to live in rented house from 1918 to 1961, while after that period from 1981 to 2011 a large number of residents in England and Wales owned a house to live in.

In 1918, almost 79% of people lived in rented accommodation and only 22% had their own house to live, while the number of residents who owned their own place decreased to 68% in 1939 and 1953 and people who had their own house to live were 31%. Furthermore, individuals who rented the residences fell to 59% and who owned were 41% in 1961. In 1971, the number of citizens who owned and rented the lodging were same in number.

In 1981, residents who owned the accommodation climbed to 60% and who rented surged to 40%, its number increased gradually to 69% but a number of people who rented houses decreased to 32% in 1991. In 2001, the percentage of citizens who had their own place to live in were 69% and who rented accommodation were 31%, while 64% owned houses and 36% of residents lived in rented houses in 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast and broad change: renting was more common at the start, ownership rose over time, and the two figures met in 1971. Most reported values are close to the chart. However, the overview is not fully accurate: it says renting was the majority only through 1961, although renters still outnumbered owners in 1971 only by neither, and it skips the important peak in ownership in 2001 followed by a fall in 2011. There is also a clear reversal in the 1939/1953 sentence: ownership was 32%, not 68%, and renting was 68%, not 32%. Select the key turning points and state the series accurately to make the summary more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction and overview to chronological details, and the sequence of years is generally easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Furthermore,” and “while” help connect information. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear, particularly the long sentence beginning “In 1918” and the sentence about 1981, where “its number” has no clear reference and the rise to 69% is not tied explicitly to 2001. The repeated pattern of “who owned” and “who rented” also makes the account feel list-like. Use shorter comparisons and clearer references, grouping the early decline in renting and later rise in ownership into more deliberate stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to describe the chart, including “proportion,” “accommodation,” “percentage,” and “decreased.” The meaning is generally understandable, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural for a statistical report. “People preferred to live” suggests a preference that the chart does not measure, while “residents,” “citizens,” and “individuals” are unnecessarily varied when the data concern households. Phrases such as “their own house to live” and “the lodging” are also awkward, and “surged” overstates a gradual change. Aim for precise chart language and natural collocations, using terms such as “the share of households,” “homeowners,” and “rented accommodation” consistently. This greater control would make the description more accurate and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses linked with “while” and “although,” and the main trends remain understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, especially in agreement and clause construction. For example, “the number of residents who owned their own place decreased to 68%” gives the wrong grammatical subject for the figure, and “the number of citizens who owned and rented the lodging were same in number” has faulty agreement and an incomplete article construction. In “who rented surged to 40%,” the subject is also unclear. There are awkward patterns such as “who had their own house to live were 31%.” Build sentences around the percentages or proportions themselves, and check subject–verb agreement and articles in longer comparisons.

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