Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-02

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 6.5)

The bar chart provides data on households percentage in owned and rented accomodation during 1918 and 2011 in England and Wales.

Overall highest percentage of households rented houses recorded in 1918 and owned accomodation households was lowest during that time. Whereas in 2001 owned accomodation households was highest and rented accomodation was lowest.

In 1918, 78% households stayed in rented houses, then it declined and remained stable for consecutive two years which was around 68%. After that it dropped again and during 1971 owned and rented both accomodation got 50% of households. Thus in 2001 rented houses it hit lowest households which was around 31%.

22% households was in owned houses during 1918 and increased to 32% in 1939. Folllwoing that it remained stable until 1953 then it kept surging until 2001 and got 68% of households. Finally in 2011 owned accomodation households steeply declined to 63% whereas rented accomodation households slightly increased to around 36%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the chart’s main pattern clearly: renting was more common at the start, ownership rose over time, and the two figures met at 50% in 1971. It also notes the 2001 peak in ownership and the reversal by 2011. Most reported figures are close to the chart, including the early rented share and the 2011 values. The overview is relevant, though it could describe the overall long-term shift more directly and mention that ownership peaked at about 69% in 2001 before falling. Some details are imprecise: ownership is about 23%, not 22%, in 1918, and the stable period is 1939 to 1953, not “two years.” Overall, the key features are selected and supported, with some over-generalisation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear four-part structure: introduction, overview, and separate descriptions of rented and owned accommodation. The sequence is generally easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “After that,” and “Finally” help signal progression. This gives the report a coherent overall arrangement. However, some connections are mechanical, and the two data paragraphs repeat the same turning points rather than grouping the trends more efficiently. “Whereas” at the start of the overview sentence is not smoothly connected to the preceding sentence, while “Thus” does not clearly express the relationship between the preceding figures and the 2001 low. More precise referencing and a clearer comparison between the two series would make cohesion more flexible and natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for describing the chart, and the writer attempts a range of trend language, including “declined,” “remained stable,” “surging,” and “slightly increased.” These choices make the main changes understandable. However, some word combinations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “households percentage,” “stayed in rented houses,” and “it hit lowest households.” “Surging” also overstates the gradual rise in ownership, while “steeply declined” is too strong for the modest fall after 2001. Spelling errors in “accomodation” and “Folllwoing” further reduce accuracy. Aim for standard chart-report collocations and choose verbs that match the size and pace of each change.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses linked with “then,” “whereas,” and “until.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but grammatical control is uneven, and several errors recur. Examples include “Overall highest percentage … recorded,” which lacks an article and a complete verb structure, and “22% households was,” where the noun phrase and verb do not agree. In “owned and rented both accomodation got 50%,” the sentence structure is also faulty. Articles and prepositions are often missing or awkward, as in “78% households” and “in owned houses.” Work on complete sentence patterns, subject–verb agreement, and articles; accurate control of these basics would make the attempted complex sentences clearer.

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