Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-12

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 6.5)

The bar chart compares the proportions of families owning and renting living spaces in England and Wales, in the time period of 1918 to 2011.

Overall, the percentage of households in rented accomodation fell over the time before rising after 2001, conversly the percentage of families in owned houses dramatically rose before decreasing in 2001. In 1971 the data for both rented accomodation and owned became the same.

Regarding the data of households in rented accomodation, it peaked in the initial time period at slightly below 80% in 1918. After that the percentage remained same for two consecutive years of 1939 and 1953 at around 70%. From 1961 at around 60% it gradually declined to 1991 to slightly above 30%, during which it fell by approximately a tenth in each year. It stayed the same for 2001 and finally showed a minimal growth to a little below 40% in 2011.

For the households in owned accomodation, it recorded the least data in 1918 of around 20% after this it surged to a little above 30% for both 1939 and 1953. From 40% in 1961 it showed steady growth of about 10% in the next three years and finally reached a little below 70% in 1991 and 2001. Lastly showed a little decrease in 2011. 1971 was the year both the percentage of rented and owned became equal at exactly a half.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main pattern accurately: renting declines overall while ownership rises, the two shares meet at 50% in 1971, and both reverse slightly by 2011. The overview is clear, and the body paragraphs support it with relevant figures, including the rented share at about 77% in 1918 and ownership at roughly 68–69% in 1991 and 2001. This addresses the task and selects the key comparisons. Some descriptions are imprecise, however: “fell by approximately a tenth in each year” is unclear because the chart shows changes across selected years, not annual data, and the overview says ownership decreased “in 2001” when its decline occurs after 2001. Clarifying these points and describing the final reversal more precisely would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised effectively into an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for rented and owned accommodation. This gives the reader a clear route through the information, and sequencing phrases such as “After that,” “From 1961,” and “Lastly” help show changes over time. The two series are also compared directly at the 1971 midpoint. Some linking is less precise or slightly mechanical: “Regarding the data of households…” is a cumbersome paragraph opening, while “during which it fell by approximately a tenth in each year” makes the time reference difficult to follow. The overview’s “before rising after 2001” could also be expressed more directly. Use concise transitions and ensure each reference clearly identifies the period or series.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of trend vocabulary, including “declined,” “surged,” “steady growth,” and “minimal growth,” which helps describe the chart without relying only on basic terms. The meaning is generally clear, but some choices are imprecise or unnatural for a data report. “Families” is less accurate than “households” here, “living spaces” is vague, and “the data … peaked” confuses the figures with the percentage itself. There are also spelling errors in “accomodation” and “conversly.” Aim for precise chart language and check spelling carefully; use “share” or “proportion” for percentages and reserve “peak” for the highest value in a series.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including time clauses and comparisons, and the main trends remain understandable. Some sentences are grammatically controlled, such as “After that the percentage remained same for two consecutive years,” though this example also needs an article before “same.” Other errors include the incomplete construction “Lastly showed a little decrease in 2011,” which needs a subject, and the awkwardly formed “From 40% in 1961 it showed steady growth of about 10% in the next three years.” The overview also has a long sentence joined by a comma, and “the data … became the same” is not a natural grammatical construction. Review articles, sentence boundaries, and complete clauses while retaining your varied sentence forms.

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