Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-29

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 illustrates the comparision of owned and rented accomodations in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, households in rented accomodation were in a large number between 1918 and 1961 and owned accomodations were high in 1981 to 2011.

In 1918, rented accomodations were on the peak and households in owned accomodations were in a very small number which was about 22%. However, rented accomodations were decreased in further years and became equal to eachother in 1971. It demonstrates that the large number of households in England and Wales were lived on rent between 1918 to 1971. On the other hand, mostly families between 1981 and 2011 were lived in owned accomodations. The owned accomodations were on top in 2001 but that figure slightly decreased in 2011. The number of rented accomodations were very small in 1991 and 2001. So, the bar chart illustrates that the families owned their property in last for years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report its main direction: renting falls while ownership rises, the two are equal in 1971, and ownership peaks in 2001 before declining. The approximate 1918 ownership figure is also close to the chart. However, the overview is imprecise: saying renting was higher “between 1918 and 1961” misses that it remained higher until the 1971 crossover, and “owned accommodations were high in 1981 to 2011” overlooks the 2011 reversal. Some claims are vague or unsupported, such as “last for years.” The response is also one word below the 150-word minimum; the eight words copied from the task prompt are excluded from the count. Add a concise, accurate overview and a few key figures to develop the comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic progression from an introduction and overview to details, and contrast markers such as “However” and “On the other hand” help signal changes. The reader can follow the broad shift from renting to ownership. However, the paragraphing does not clearly separate the overview from the detailed comparisons, and several links are repetitive or do not make the relationship between ideas clear. For example, “So, the bar chart illustrates that the families owned their property in last for years” repeats the general trend rather than concluding with a precise comparison. Organise the report into a clear overview followed by chronological details, and use references such as “this proportion” to connect figures without repeating “accommodations.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “decreased,” “equal,” and “slightly decreased,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are unnatural, including “were on the peak,” “in a very small number,” and “were lived on rent.” Repeated use of “accommodations” also makes the description less precise; the chart concerns households in owned or rented accommodation, not the accommodation itself. Spelling errors such as “comparision” and “accomodation” are noticeable. Build a more accurate set of trend phrases and check spelling, while varying terms such as “households,” “proportion,” and “share.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple sentences and longer sentences with contrast, as in “However, rented accommodations were decreased in further years and became equal to eachother in 1971.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in verb forms and sentence construction recur. For example, “were decreased” uses an unnecessary passive form, while “families … were lived in owned accommodations” has an incorrect verb pattern. “The large number of households … were lived on rent” also has faulty agreement and structure. Articles and prepositions are sometimes missing or awkward, as in “in last for years.” Practise describing trends with accurate forms such as “the proportion fell” and “households lived in rented homes,” then proofread each sentence for a complete, grammatical structure.

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