Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-30

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 percentages of households that owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall renting a house declined by years and owning a house increased throughout the years became more reliable approach. In contrast renting house was more commen at the start, while in 1971 they both becamce constant in England and Wales.

On the one hand, renting a house was more commen at the start in 1918 account for 77% highest in the chart, while in 1939 it slightly decreased to 68% and remain same in 1953, however in 1917 it decreased and became same as renting a house for 50%. After that getting lower each decade to 1991 for 33% and slightly increasing to 37% in 2011.

On the other hand, owing a house was lower that renting at start in 1918 for 24% to increasing a bit in 1939 for 32% and remaining same in 1953, meanwhile becoming constant as renting a house in 1971 for 50% to passing the renting house in chart for 60% in 1971. At the end being the highest for 70% in 2001 to getting a bit low in 2011 for 65% in the end in England and Wales.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give a broad overview of the opposing trends: renting falls overall while ownership rises, and the two reach 50% in 1971. You also select several relevant figures, including the 1918 starting point and the later peak in ownership. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the year “1917” should be 1961, when renting was 59%, and ownership did not pass renting in 1971; the lines were equal then and ownership became higher in 1981. The claim that ownership increased “throughout” also misses its fall from 69% in 2001 to 64% in 2011. Correcting these points and describing the main turning points more precisely would make the summary more complete and reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for renting and ownership. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” signal the two categories. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly where dates and comparisons are mixed together. The phrase “in 1971” is repeated for different stages of ownership, and “After that” does not clearly identify which year or trend it refers to. Some linking words, including “however” and “meanwhile,” do not establish a clear relationship between the facts. Organise each series chronologically and use precise year references to improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary such as “percentages,” “declined,” “increasing,” and “remaining,” so the reader can generally understand the topic and broad trends. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive. For example, “more reliable approach” does not express the trend in home ownership, while “passing the renting house” is not a natural way to describe one percentage overtaking another. “More commen” is misspelled and repeated, and “getting lower” and “getting a bit low” are imprecise. Choose standard terms for describing data, such as “rose,” “fell,” “reached a peak,” and “overtook,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences with time clauses and contrast, for example, “while in 1939 it slightly decreased to 68% and remain same in 1953.” However, these attempts often contain errors, and many sentences are fragments or lack a clear grammatical structure. In that example, the verbs should be parallel (“decreased” and “remained”), and “the same” needs an article. Other problems include “renting a house was more commen … account for 77%,” where the subject and verb form do not agree, and “owing a house was lower that renting,” which has an incorrect comparison structure. Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense consistency, articles, and comparative forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.