Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-17
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 5.0)
The given bar chart shows a comparison between households in owned and rented accomodations.
The data ranges from the year 1918 to 2011.
On vertical axis we have percentage of households and on the horizontal axis we have the years.
Each bar represents the percentage of respective rented and owned household under the given year on the chart.
The percentage of the rented households was at the peak in the year 1918 near 80% and in the next consecutive years it decreased to near 70% then it started gradually decreasing each year by around 10% till the year 2011 where it has been shown at approximate 35%
On the contrast, the percentage of households in owned accomodation was at it's lowest in the year 1918 and it has been gradually increasing over the years contrary to rented households accomodartion.
It jumped to it's peak in the year 2001 with approximate 70%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify the two categories and describe their broad opposing trends: renting falls from a high in 1918, while ownership rises. The approximate figures for 1918 and the later years are generally grounded in the chart. However, the response only partially reports the main features. It omits the important crossover in 1971, when the proportions are equal, and does not clearly state that ownership peaks in 2001 before declining by 2011. Saying ownership “jumped to its peak” also misses the gradual rise and slight fall. Include a concise overview and select key turning points and comparisons to make the summary more complete and developed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the chart, describes rented accommodation, then contrasts this with ownership. Paragraph breaks help distinguish the introduction from the trend descriptions. However, progression is limited, and some sentences repeat information about the axes and bars rather than advancing the comparison. Linking is also awkward or mechanical in phrases such as “On the contrast” and “contrary to rented households accomodartion.” The two trends would be clearer if presented together around key periods—for example, noting that the figures meet in 1971 and then reverse—using accurate transitions and clearer references. This would create a more coherent comparison across the whole period.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “gradually decreasing,” “increasing,” and “peak,” so the main trends are understandable. There is some variation in how you describe movement, but the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “each year by around 10%” and “jumped to it’s peak,” which do not accurately convey the chart’s gradual changes. Spelling errors in “accomodations” and “accomodartion” are noticeable, and “respective rented and owned household” is an awkward collocation. Aim for precise chart language such as “share,” “proportion,” “rose steadily,” and “declined slightly,” while checking spelling and word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You communicate the basic trends using both simple sentences and some longer structures, such as “The percentage of the rented households was at the peak … and in the next consecutive years it decreased.” However, the range is limited, and errors recur in sentence construction and grammatical forms. For example, “On vertical axis” and “on the horizontal axis” need articles, while “it has been shown” is an awkward passive construction for describing a chart. The sentence beginning “It jumped to it’s peak” has unclear reference, and the apostrophe in “it’s” is incorrect for the possessive form. Use a wider mix of accurate sentence patterns and check articles, tense consistency, pronoun reference, and punctuation.
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