Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-25

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 illustrates the proportion of households in England and wales, who either owned their house or had rented accommodation from year 1918 to 2011.

Overall, the percentage of families who owned their house steadily increased for most of the period whereas proportion of people living in rented accommodation kept on falling throughout the period.

In the year 1971, both sort of households who rented and owned their house had equal proportion.

Firstly, In 1918 rented accommodation accounted for almost 75% of

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the chart’s subject and give a relevant overview: ownership generally rose, while renting declined, and the two figures met in 1971. The equality point is accurate, and “almost 75%” for renting in 1918 is a reasonable approximation of 77%. However, the response stops partway through its first detail paragraph, so it reports almost none of the remaining data or the later changes, including the slight reversal by 2011. The overview also overstates the trend by saying renting fell “throughout”; it rose again from 31% in 2001 to 36% in 2011. The response is 83 words, below the required 150. Develop the key stages and comparisons to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and the start of a detail paragraph. The sequence from identifying the chart to summarising its broad pattern is understandable, and “Overall” and “Firstly” signal the intended organisation. However, the response ends abruptly after “almost 75% of”, leaving the first detail incomplete and preventing a logical progression through the years. The overview’s two trend statements are also repetitive in structure, and the final sentence about 1971 is not connected to supporting details. Complete the body with selected figures grouped into clear stages, and use linking phrases to show contrasts and changes rather than relying on a single “Firstly”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary such as “proportion,” “percentage,” “accounted for,” and “rented accommodation,” which makes the topic clear. There is some variation in referring to households, including “families” and “people living in rented accommodation.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward: “owned their house” is less suitable than “lived in owner-occupied homes,” and “both sort of households” is not a natural way to describe the two categories. “Kept on falling” is informal and inaccurate for the full period, given the final rise in renting. Capitalisation is inconsistent in “wales” and “Firstly.” Aim for precise, formal chart language and avoid wording that implies a trend the data do not support.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “whereas proportion of people living in rented accommodation kept on falling.” The main ideas are generally understandable, and the overview sentence communicates a comparison. However, grammatical control is uneven. The relative clause in the introduction—“households in England and wales, who either owned their house or had rented accommodation”—is awkwardly formed, and “whereas proportion” is missing a determiner (“the proportion”). “In the year 1971” is understandable, but the sentence that follows has an unclear construction: “both sort of households who rented and owned their house had equal proportion.” Use a more controlled structure, such as “In 1971, the proportions of owner-occupiers and renters were equal.” Check articles, clause construction, and punctuation.

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