Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-16

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 bar chart illustrates the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and wales between 1918 and 2011.\

Overall, in 1918 many people lived in rented houses while over the years this changed and in 2001 there were high percentage of people living in their owned households.

In 1918, the households in rented accommodation had accounted for 75% followed by households in owned accommodation 23%. In 1939 the rented accommodation decrease and represented 69% and owned accommodation 31% and also remain same upto 1953. After that 1961 the rented accommodation declined to 59% aand accommodation owned increase upto 42%. In 1971 the both accommadtion had same which accounted for 50%.

Furthermore, in 1981 the owned accommodation rose to 60% and rented accommodation declined to 40% and they also remain constant upto 2001 . However in 2011 the rented accomodation shows up 35% and owned accommodation comprise 63%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give a relevant overview: renting was more common at the start, while ownership became more prevalent and peaked around 2001. You also select several key stages, including the equal 50% figures in 1971. Most reported values are close to the chart, though the 2011 figures are slightly inaccurate: ownership is about 64% and renting 36%, rather than 63% and 35%. The overview could be more precise by noting the overall opposing trends and the small reversal after 2001. The response contains 134 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum; this limits how fully the main features are reported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the figures chronologically. This makes the main progression from renting to ownership easy to follow, and transitions such as “After that” and “Furthermore” help connect stages. However, some linking is mechanical or unclear. For example, “and also remain same upto 1953” does not clearly identify which figures stayed unchanged, and the final paragraph combines the 1981–2001 plateau with the 2011 reversal without clearly distinguishing them. Use more precise referencing and organise the later years so the plateau and subsequent change are clearly contrasted.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “declined,” “rose,” and “accounted for,” so the reader can understand the broad trends. However, the range is limited and some expressions are inaccurate or repetitive, such as “accommodation owned,” “shows up,” and repeated use of “accommodation.” Spelling errors, including “accommadtion” and “accomodation,” also reduce accuracy. Choose standard collocations for describing data, such as “the proportion of households in owner-occupied homes,” and vary verbs carefully. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish a rise, a fall, a plateau, and a reversal without relying on the same basic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the main comparisons are generally understandable. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “In 1939 the rented accommodation decrease” has an incorrect verb form, while “the both accommadtion had same” has problems with word order and sentence structure. There are also agreement and article issues in “there were high percentage” and “the owned accommodation rose.” Review past-tense forms for chart descriptions, subject–verb agreement, and article use. Breaking some long sentences into accurate comparisons would improve control and clarity.

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