Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates the proportion of families in owned and rented house in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.

Overall, the percentage of households in rented accomodation was higher in the 1st quarter of the period while households in owned accomodation was higher at the 2nd quarter of the same time frame.

In 1918, the number of tenants was around 77% which was highest compared to all years. Then it decreased slightly to approximately 68% in 1939, 59% in 1961, 40% and nearly 31% in 1981 and 2001 respectively with a consistent downward trend before showed a slight rise in 2011 with an amount of roughly 36%.

Conversely, the volume of households in owned accomodation was the lowest at roughly 22% compared to all in 1918. Then it continued with its increasing trend at nearly 31% in 1939, and showed its peak in 2001 with approximately 69% before showed a slight decrease of around 63% in 2011. However, the percentage was same for both categories in 1971 stands with 50%.

In conclusion, the number of people lived in rental house has been decreased significantly whereas people are now more comfortable to live in their own house which has been increased over time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrast and give a clear overview: renting was more common initially, ownership later became more prevalent, and the two were equal in 1971. Most reported figures match the chart, including the rental peak in 1918 and the ownership high in 2001. The account also notes the slight reversal by 2011. This covers the task well, though the overview’s “1st quarter” and “2nd quarter” descriptions are imprecise and do not clearly capture the long-term crossover around 1971. Some intermediate details are omitted, such as the 1953 plateau in both series, and the conclusion adds an unsupported explanation about people being “more comfortable” in their own homes. A more precise overview and strictly chart-based conclusion would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: introduction, overview, a paragraph on renting, a paragraph on ownership, and a concluding statement. “Conversely” effectively signals the comparison between the two series, and the chronological reporting makes the changes easy to follow. This gives the response a coherent overall structure. However, some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated “Then” and “before showed,” and the final “In conclusion” repeats the trend rather than adding a useful synthesis. The overview’s quarter-based division is also not a very clear way to organise the period. Use more varied transitions and make the relationship between the two trends explicit, especially around their equal point in 1971.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “tenants,” “downward trend,” “increasing trend,” and “peak.” These choices help describe the chart’s movement and comparison. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural collocations: “rented house,” “the volume of households,” and “showed its peak” are less suitable for describing percentages. “Number of tenants” also shifts attention from the share of households to people. Spelling errors such as “accomodation” recur, and “1st quarter” is imprecise in this context. Aim for consistent, accurate terms such as “percentage of households,” “rented accommodation,” and “reached a peak”; this would make the description more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrastive opening with “Conversely” and a longer sentence describing the rental trend. The main comparisons remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur and reduce accuracy. For example, “households in owned accommodation was higher” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “before showed a slight rise” lacks a clear grammatical subject. In the final sentence, “people lived in rental house has been decreased” combines an incorrect relative construction with an unsuitable verb form; “the percentage of households renting decreased” would be clearer. The phrase “in 1971 stands with 50%” also has tense and sentence-structure problems. Check agreement, maintain past tense for historical data, and simplify sentences when needed.

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