Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-01

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 information about households owning and renting accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.

The x-axis talks about, years from 1918 to 2011. Wheres y-axis talk about per cent odf households from 0 to 90. It is clearly evident that rented accommodation in 1918 is highest around 80% and lowest in 2001 around 30%. Also owned accommodation was lowest in 1918 around 22% and highest in 2001 around 70%.

In 1971, both rened and owned accommodation was stable around 50%. Moreover, In 2011, rented accommodation was increased around 5% and and owned accommodation was decreased around 6%. Furthermore, In owned accommodation was stay stable in year 1939 and 1953 was approzimately 32%.

Overall, theprovide information on comparison between rented and owned accomodation and owned accommodation showns upward trend, wheres rented accommodation shows downward trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report several relevant features: renting falls from about 80% to around 30%, ownership rises from roughly 22% to 70%, and the two figures meet at 50% in 1971. You also note the ownership plateau in 1939 and 1953. However, the overview is broad and does not clearly capture the later reversal: ownership peaks in 2001 before falling in 2011, while renting rises. The claim that renting is highest in 1918 and lowest in 2001 is broadly accurate, but the response gives limited detail across the full period. The response is also 11 words below the required minimum. Add a fuller account of the main stages and the 2011 change to address the task more completely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure, moving from an introduction to chart details and then an overview. This makes the main topic and some comparisons easy to locate. However, progression between details is not consistently clear: the 2011 comparison, the 1939–1953 plateau, and the overall trend are presented in a somewhat abrupt sequence. Linking words such as “Moreover” and “Furthermore” are used, but they do not always show a precise relationship between the points. The final overview also repeats earlier trend information rather than synthesising the key changes. Organise the body chronologically or by ownership versus renting, and use clearer links to show contrast and change over time.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “households,” “accommodation,” “upward trend,” and “downward trend,” so the reader can understand the topic. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems reduce precision. For example, “the x-axis talks about” is not a natural way to describe chart labels, and “rented accommodation was increased” is an awkward expression. Errors such as “rened,” “approzimately,” and “accomodation” are noticeable. Aim for accurate reporting verbs and trend language, such as “shows,” “rose,” “declined,” and “remained stable.” Proofreading spelling and choosing natural collocations would make the description clearer and more appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates several comparisons through simple sentences, but grammatical control is inconsistent and the range of sentence structures is limited. Errors occur in verb forms and agreement, as in “rented accommodation was increased” and “owned accommodation showns,” while “both … was stable” does not use the correct agreement. The sentence “Furthermore, In owned accommodation was stay stable…” is difficult to follow because its structure is incomplete and the verb form is faulty. Capitalisation after commas and full stops is also inconsistent. Practise forming accurate past-tense sentences and combining related information with controlled clauses—for example, “Ownership remained stable at about 32% in 1939 and 1953.” More reliable basic structures will improve clarity.

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