Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-13

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 4.0)

The given bar charts depicts the propotion of householdes in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, the percentage of house holdes in rented accommodation showes a decreasing trend over these years, while the householdes in owned accommodation had an increasing figure. However, both accounted almost same number of individuals over a purticular year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the two categories and the overall opposing trends: renting generally falls while ownership rises. However, the overview is incomplete and the claim that the figures were “almost same” is not tied to a clear year; the chart shows equality only in 1971, at 50% each. The response gives no specific figures or comparisons across the other years, so it does not adequately summarise the main features. It is also substantially below the required 150 words: the response contains 47 words, with 13 words copied from the prompt excluded from the count. To improve, report key values at the beginning and end of the period, mention the 1971 crossover, and describe the slight reversal by 2011.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic, understandable structure: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview, and “Overall” signals the shift to the main trends. The contrast introduced by “while” also helps connect the two series. However, the response is too brief to show a clear progression through the chart, and there is no detailed paragraph comparing the periods or supporting the overview. The final sentence, “both accounted almost same number,” is unclear about when this occurred. Develop the response in a logical sequence—for example, describe the early years and crossover first, then the later peak and final change—and use clear references to years and percentages.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “owned and rented accommodation,” and “decreasing trend.” These choices make the general subject and direction of change understandable. However, the range is very limited, and several spelling errors—“propotion,” “householdes,” and “purticular”—reduce accuracy and polish. Some phrasing is also imprecise: “same number of individuals” does not accurately describe the chart, which reports percentages of households, not people. Use precise terms such as “proportion of households,” “ownership rate,” and “rental accommodation,” and vary trend language with expressions such as “rose steadily,” “declined,” or “reached a peak.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes a simple opening sentence and a more complex overview using “while,” so there is at least an attempt to vary sentence structure. The main meaning is generally recoverable, but grammatical control is inconsistent. In “The given bar charts depicts,” the plural subject requires “depict”; in “the percentage … showes,” the verb form should be “shows”; and “householdes … had an increasing figure” does not form a clear, accurate clause. The final sentence also lacks a clear time reference and uses an awkward construction. Practise subject–verb agreement and build complete comparisons with explicit subjects, verbs, and years, such as “Ownership rose to 50% in 1971, matching the rental figure.”

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

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