Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The chart illustrates the proportions of households which rather own and rent accomodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.

Overall, the proportion of household in rented accomodation declined , meanwhile , the households in owned accomodation increased rapidly till 2011. However,equal proportions of both were in 1971.

In 1918, highest percentage of rented accomodations were noted at nearly 76% which declined and rose slightly in 1953 . It began t odropped out till 2001 at nearly 33% . However it increased upto 36% in 2011. There is increament in households in owned accommodation . Starting from 22% in 1918 , it rose upto 32% in 1939 and it remained constant till 1953. In 1971, there were equal proportion of both the figures by 50%. It increased upto 2001 and got declined at 64%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast and the key crossover: renting falls overall, ownership rises, and the figures are equal in 1971. Several figures are broadly accurate, including ownership at about 32% in 1939 and the rented share at around 36% in 2011. However, the overview says ownership increased “till 2011,” although it peaked in 2001 before declining. The description of renting as having “rose slightly in 1953” is also unclear, since it stayed at about 68% from 1939 to 1953. The response is under the required 150 words, and the later stages of the ownership trend are not fully explained. Add the 1991 and 2001 values and clarify both series’ final changes to make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph giving figures for both accommodation types. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison, and linking words such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Starting from” show an attempt to connect information. Cohesion is not always smooth, though: “However” is used where the relationship is not clearly contrasting, and the long final paragraph shifts between rented and owned figures without a clear separation. Some references, such as “both the figures,” are imprecise. Organise the details into clearer stages or separate paragraphs for each series, and use links that accurately express contrast, continuation, or change.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportions,” “declined,” “remained constant,” and “increased,” so the main trends can be understood. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “rather own and rent,” “highest percentage … were noted,” and “got declined.” Spelling errors in “accomodation” and “increament” also reduce accuracy. These issues make parts of the description less clear and less suitable for a formal report. Build a reliable set of trend verbs and collocations, and check spelling and word forms before finishing. Prefer precise expressions such as “the share of households that owned their homes” and “fell to” or “rose to.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentences, including the overview’s contrast between the two trends and the sentence beginning “Starting from 22% in 1918.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors occur in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation. For example, “the proportion of household … declined” has a number-agreement problem, while “In 1918, highest percentage” is missing an article. The phrase “It began t odropped out till 2001” is difficult to parse, and commas are often separated from the preceding word or used awkwardly. Practise accurate basic sentence patterns first, then add subordinate clauses; proofread for articles, singular/plural agreement, verb forms, and punctuation.

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