Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-21

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)

This graph illustrates household owning and rentiing accomodation in England and Wales through 1918 to 2011. In the x-axis, the years are mentioned and on the y-axis, percentages of households are given. It shows that over the years, the household owning increased. While the renting decreased over the years despite being concentrated in early years.

The graph also tells that, in the year 1971, the ratio of owning an renting became equal. it means that there were equal number of people owning a house to the people renting a house.from this graph, we can extract that in early years, people were struggling to own a house in England and Wales as they both are costly regions for residency.

So they preferred renting a house. in the coming years, people preferred household owning, the reason might be that they earned money to own a house in England and Wales. This might be a factor or a reason that renting ratio declined in later years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main opposing trends: ownership rises overall while renting falls, and you correctly note that the two figures meet at 50% in 1971. These are relevant features of the chart. However, the account is only partly developed: it gives no figures for the start or end of the period and does not mention the later peak in ownership around 2001 followed by a decline in 2011. The explanation that people were struggling to buy because the regions were costly, and later earned enough to purchase homes, is speculation not supported by the chart. Focus on describing observable data and include a concise overview of the main changes and turning points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from a brief description of the axes to the overall trends, the 1971 crossover, and then possible explanations. This gives the reader a general sense of the topic. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the final section shifts from reporting chart information to speculation, and the ideas are not grouped into a clear overview and supporting details. Linking words such as “While” and “So” are used, but some connections feel abrupt, and the repeated references to “the graph” do little to guide the reader. Organise the response into a clear overview followed by comparisons across the period, using references such as “by contrast” or “thereafter” where they clarify relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “percentages,” “ratio,” “owning,” and “renting,” so the subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as “household owning,” “rentiing accomodation,” and “equal number of people” when the chart concerns households. Spelling errors in “rentiing” and “accomodation” are noticeable, while “costly regions for residency” is an unnatural way to express the idea. These limitations make the description less precise and fluent. Build a small set of accurate chart phrases, such as “the proportion of households in owner-occupied homes,” “the share of rented accommodation,” and “rose steadily,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a few different sentence forms, including a contrast with “While” and a clause beginning “that in the year 1971.” The main trends and the equality in 1971 can still be understood. However, control is uneven, with errors in sentence boundaries, articles, agreement, and punctuation. For example, “the ratio of owning an renting became equal. it means” should be joined and punctuated correctly, and “there were equal number” needs an article and plural agreement. The sentence beginning “This might be a factor” also has an unclear reference. Use complete, clearly punctuated sentences and practise accurate patterns such as “the proportions were equal” and “the percentage of households owning homes increased.”

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