Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-23

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 graph illustrates the proportion of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and wales during 1918 and 2011. Overall, the most significant point is that households in rented accomodation percentage was higher then owned households from 1918 to 1961. However, in 1971 the percentage of both became equal, whereas from 1981 to 2011 the ratio of households in owned accommodation was higher then the rented.

Initially, it can be seen that the higher proportion was of owned households accommodation that was more then 70% in 1918 but in 1939 and 1953 it's percentage dropped to the same point that was approximately 69%. Furthermore, in 1961 it decreased almost 59%, whereas owned household was at almost 32% but in 1971 both types of accomodations percentage became same with exactely 50%.Meanwhile in 1981 rented households ratio dropped and it was 40% while the owned households percentage rose up with 60% and in 1991 it was almost 68% and in 2001 it was approximately 69%, whereas rented households kept dropping till 2001 and then rose up a bit and became almost 35%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main crossover: renting was more common at the start, the figures met in 1971, and ownership was higher afterwards. You also include several relevant figures and note the slight rise in renting by 2011. However, the description contains major reversals of the data in the first period. In 1918, ownership was about 23% and renting 77%, not the reverse; by 1939 and 1953, the figures were about 32% and 68%, respectively. The same reversal affects your account of 1961. These inaccuracies weaken the report of key features, and the final 2011 ownership figure of 64% is omitted. Check each series against the chart and report both endpoints accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening overview followed by a paragraph of figures, and the overview gives the reader a useful sense of the crossover and later pattern. However, progression within the detail paragraph is difficult to follow because several comparisons are packed into long sentences, especially the sentence beginning “Furthermore, in 1961”. Connectors such as “whereas” and “and” are repeated, and the transition into “Meanwhile” is not clearly separated by punctuation. Grouping the early years together and the later years together, with one or two comparisons per sentence, would make the sequence clearer. Use references such as “the ownership figure” consistently so readers can track which series each number describes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion”, “percentage”, “dropped”, and “rose”, and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is limited and some word combinations are awkward, such as “households in rented accomodation percentage” and “the ratio of households in owned accommodation”. “Ratio” is not the most suitable term for describing a chart’s percentage, and “percentage” is repeated frequently. There are also spelling errors, including “accomodation” and “exactely”, which reduce accuracy. Aim for concise chart language and vary terms appropriately: for example, use “share”, “figure”, or “proportion” where suitable, and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “whereas” and “however”, but control is inconsistent. Errors in sentence structure and agreement appear in phrases such as “households in rented accomodation percentage was higher then owned households” and “both types of accomodations percentage became same”. The sentence beginning “Initially” also combines several comparisons without clear grammatical boundaries, while “in 1971 the percentage of both became equal” lacks a clear noun after “both”. Punctuation is sometimes faulty, as in “50%.Meanwhile”. These problems can make comparisons harder to interpret. Practise building shorter, complete comparison sentences, checking subjects and verbs, and placing spaces after full stops.

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