The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Sample Response
The bar chart shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Overall, the percentageOverall, percentage of households in owned accommodation was highest in 2001. Percentage of households in rented accommodation was highest in 1918.
The proportion of households in owned accommodation increasedThe households in owned accommodation was increased significantly from about 23% in 1918 to about 69% in 2001. Then there was a decreasethere was decrease in 2011. In 1981, the households in owned accommodation exceeded the proportion of householdsexceed the households in rented accommodation. In 1971, the households in owned accommodation and households in rented accommodation were equal at 50%.were common.
The figure for households in rented accommodation was highest in 1918. Then the households in rented accommodation decreased from about 77% in 1918 to roughly 68% in 1939.about 76% to about 68%. In 1939 and 1953 the households in rented accommodation remained unchanged at around 68%.was balance. Percentage of households in rented accommodation decreased significantlywas decreased significantly from about 68% in 1953 to about 31% in 2001. Percentage of households in rented accommodation rose to around 36% in 2011.was rose in 2011.
Why this response received Band 5.5
The report correctly highlights the overall trends and key data points from the chart. However, repetitive sentence structures, reliance on copied prompt terminology, and frequent grammatical errors involving verb forms limit the effectiveness of the writing. To improve, focus on using varied vocabulary to describe proportions and mastering accurate past tense verb constructions.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response identifies key trends and statistics accurately, providing a relevant overview and comparing the two accommodation types.
Enhance the overview by summarizing the main overall shift over time rather than just stating individual peak years.
Coherence and Cohesion
The report is logically structured into clear paragraphs, though transitions between sentences rely on basic connective words.
Use a wider variety of linking expressions and pronoun references to connect ideas smoothly without repeating subject phrases.
Lexical Resource
The essay relies heavily on repeating prompt phrasing and contains imprecise lexical choices such as using 'common' and 'balance' to describe equal percentages.
Paraphrase key terms using synonyms like 'homeowners', 'tenants', and 'proportions' to demonstrate a broader vocabulary range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Grammatical errors occur frequently across the response, particularly inappropriate passive structures and incorrect past tense verb forms.
Practice forming correct simple past active verbs and inserting necessary articles before nouns.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.