Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-27

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 bar chart compares the precentage of owned households and rented accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.

Overall, it is evident that rented households in 1918 recorded the highest figure whereas, owned households had the lowest. Another notable feature is that both accommodation is accounted the same figure in 1971.

Looking first at 1918, owned households stood at around 20% while, rented one recorded the highest figure throughout the year which was approximately 75%. In 1939, house which are owned was at around 30% and rented houses were at 68%. Followed by 1953, both figure stood at around 30% and 68% repectively. By year 1961, the figure of owned households was around 40% and rented accommodation was around 69%. The main feature, in 1971 both accomodation accounted the same figure.

Turning to year 1981, where the figure of owned house were 60% and rented one was at 40%. In 1991, both figure stood at 68% and 32% in same order. In the year 2001, owned house was at 69% and rented one was at 32%. Owned house was at 65% and rented one was at 35%, in 2011.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s overall direction and include several relevant figures: ownership rises from about 20% in 1918 to around 69% in 2001, while renting generally declines, and you note the equal 50% shares in 1971. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not clearly summarise the long-term reversal from renting being dominant to ownership becoming dominant, or the slight reversal in 2011. There are also factual inaccuracies. In 1961, renting was about 59%, not 69%, and in 2001 it was about 31%, rather than 32%. The 2011 figures are approximately 64% and 36%, not 65% and 35%. Select the main stages and report the comparisons accurately to make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs that move through the years in chronological order. Phrases such as “Looking first” and “Turning to year 1981” help signal the sequence. However, the year-by-year listing makes the report feel somewhat mechanical, and the final 2011 comparison is left as a separate statement rather than linked to the overall trend. Some references are also unclear, as in “both figure” and “in same order”; readers must infer which accommodation type each number refers to. Group the earlier decline in renting and rise in ownership, then describe the later peak and reversal, using clear references to each series.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “stood at,” “figure,” and “approximately,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “rented households,” “rented one,” and “both accommodation is accounted the same figure.” Repetition of “figure” and “house” also reduces precision. There are spelling errors in “precentage,” “repectively,” and “accomodation,” which are noticeable in a short report. Use the chart’s categories consistently—“households in owned accommodation” and “households in rented accommodation”—and vary reporting language carefully, for example with “accounted for” or “reached.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, and the chronological comparisons are usually understandable. However, some sentence structures and agreement patterns are inaccurate. For example, “both accommodation is accounted the same figure” has problems with the subject, verb, and construction; “both figure stood” should use a plural subject and verb; and “the figure of owned house were 60%” has a singular subject paired with a plural verb. The clause beginning “Followed by 1953” is also incomplete, while commas after “while” in “while, rented one” are misplaced. Practise complete comparison sentences with consistent singular or plural subjects, and check verb agreement and punctuation before finalising the report.

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