Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-22
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 bar chart compares the percentage of houses in England and Wales in terms of their ownership statues, either they were rented or owned from 1918 to 2011.
Overall, at initial years most of the housholds were rented out, thereafter the trend altered singnificantaly and in the more recent years most of the households were in owned accommodation.
In 1918, around 78% of houses were rented in both the countries and remaining 22% were belonged to those who owned them. From 1939 the trend of rented houses started decreasing and the the number of owned households increased at 69% and 31% recpectively, until 1953 the number remained at the same point. While in 1961, the dereasing and increasing trend recpectively countinued and in 1971 both accounted at 50%.
Subsequently, the trend countinued untill 2001 when they accounted at
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify the chart’s main contrast and give an overview: renting was more common initially, while ownership became dominant later. Several early figures are broadly accurate, including the equal 50% shares in 1971. However, the report is incomplete and only partially covers the period: it stops mid-sentence after “when they accounted at”, so the 2001 figures and the important 2011 reversal are not reported. There is also a significant data error: in 1939, ownership was about 32% and renting 68%, not ownership 69% and renting 31%; those figures belong to 2001 in reverse order. The response is also 12 words below the required minimum. Complete the final comparison and check each figure against the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to chronological details, and expressions such as “Overall” and “Subsequently” help signal stages. However, progression is weakened by the unfinished final sentence, which leaves the account without a conclusion to the data. Some linking is mechanical or unclear: “From 1939 the trend … started decreasing” does not clearly identify which series is decreasing, and “While in 1961” is an awkward transition into a sentence fragment-like construction. The long middle paragraph also combines several years and comparisons, making the information harder to follow. Use separate, logically grouped paragraphs for the overview and key periods, and make each comparison explicit.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage”, “trend”, “accounted” and “owned accommodation”, and the reader can generally understand the topic. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “ownership statues” for ownership status, “houses were rented” where “households rented accommodation” is more precise, and “were belonged to those who owned them”. Spelling errors are also noticeable, including “housholds”, “singnificantaly”, “recpectively” and “countinued”. These errors reduce the accuracy and polish of the description, even though the main subject remains understandable. Build a reliable set of terms for describing proportions and changes, and proofread spelling and word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a time clause in “until 1953 the number remained at the same point” and a contrast introduced by “While in 1961”. However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors recur in basic sentence patterns. For example, “remaining 22% were belonged” uses an incorrect passive form; “the number of owned households increased at 69%” has an inaccurate verb pattern; and “both accounted at 50%” uses the wrong preposition. The sentence beginning “Subsequently” is incomplete, ending after “when they accounted at”. These problems sometimes make relationships between figures difficult to interpret. Practise accurate comparison structures, verb forms and complete sentences, then check punctuation and sentence boundaries.
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