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Cambridge 13 Writing Task 1 Test 2 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)

Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.

The Prompt

Home Ownership and Renting in England and Wales 1918-2011

The graph below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

The Data

Percentage of households: owned vs rented (England and Wales)

1918: Owned 23%, Rented 77%

1939: Owned 32%, Rented 68%

1953: Owned 38%, Rented 62%

1961: Owned 43%, Rented 57%

1971: Owned 52%, Rented 48%

1981: Owned 57%, Rented 43%

1991: Owned 67%, Rented 33%

2001: Owned 69%, Rented 31%

2011: Owned 65%, Rented 35%

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Band 9

187 words

Identifies the post-2001 reversal as the standout feature rather than treating the whole period as one continuous upward trend.

The graph illustrates how the proportion of households in England and Wales that owned versus rented their homes changed between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, home ownership rose consistently throughout most of the twentieth century, overtaking renting by the early 1970s and reaching a peak in 2001, before falling slightly again by the end of the period, a reversal that stands out as the most notable feature of the graph.

In 1918, only 23% of households owned their home, compared with 77% renting, but ownership rose steadily over the following decades, reaching 43% by 1961 and overtaking the proportion renting for the first time around 1971, when the two figures stood at 52% and 48% respectively. This upward trend in ownership continued through the 1980s and 1990s, climbing to 67% by 1991.

Home ownership reached its highest point in 2001, at 69%, with renting correspondingly at its lowest, 31%. However, by 2011 this trend had reversed slightly, with ownership falling back to 65% and renting rising to 35%, suggesting that the long-term rise in home ownership had begun to stall or even reverse in the final decade shown.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Covers the full period with a precise overview identifying the genuinely notable feature, the reversal after 2001, rather than simply describing a continuous rise.

Coherence & Cohesion: A clear overview precedes chronologically organised detail, with cohesive devices ("however", "a reversal that stands out") linking the trend naturally.

Lexical Resource: Precise, varied language ("overtaking", "stall", "correspondingly") used accurately throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of accurate structures, including comparatives and non-finite clauses, used with full control.

Band 8

163 words

Accurate and clearly organised, capturing the reversal but with slightly less analytical framing than a band 9 answer.

The graph shows the percentage of households in England and Wales that owned or rented their homes from 1918 to 2011.

Overall, home ownership increased steadily for most of the period, overtaking renting around 1971 and reaching its highest point in 2001, before falling slightly by 2011.

In 1918, only 23% of households owned their home, while 77% rented, but ownership rose steadily over time, reaching 43% by 1961. By 1971, ownership had overtaken renting for the first time, at 52% compared to 48%. Ownership then continued to rise, reaching 67% by 1991.

The highest level of home ownership was in 2001, at 69%, while renting was at its lowest point, 31%. However, by 2011, ownership had dropped slightly to 65%, and renting had risen again to 35%, showing a small reversal of the long-term trend at the end of the period. This slight decline may reflect rising house prices or changing attitudes toward renting in the years following the 2008 financial crisis.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Covers the full period accurately with a clear overview, including the 2011 reversal, though it is described a little more simply than in the band 9 answer.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised with an overview followed by chronologically ordered detail; cohesive devices are accurate throughout.

Lexical Resource: Good range of vocabulary for describing trends, though "a small reversal" is slightly plainer than the higher-band answer's more analytical phrasing.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Accurate throughout, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures.

Band 7

167 words

All figures are correct and the reversal is mentioned, but it is not framed as the graph's most notable feature.

The graph gives information about the percentage of households that owned or rented homes in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, the percentage of people who owned their home went up a lot over the period, and it became higher than the percentage renting at some point in the 1970s. It reached its highest point in 2001, but then went down a little by 2011.

In 1918, only 23% of households owned their home, and 77% rented. Ownership kept going up over time, and by 1971 it had become higher than renting, at 52% compared to 48%. It kept rising until 1991, when it reached 67%.

By 2001, ownership was at its highest level, 69%, and renting was at its lowest, 31%. But by 2011, ownership had gone down slightly to 65%, and renting had gone up a little to 35%. This small change at the end may have been linked to rising house prices or a shift in attitudes toward renting during that period.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Reports the key figures accurately, including the 2011 reversal, but the overview stays fairly descriptive rather than identifying the reversal as a notable feature in its own right.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised chronologically, though "went up" and "went down" are repeated throughout.

Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task; figures are accurate but connecting language stays fairly plain throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate, mostly simple sentence structures; meaning is always clear.

Band 6.5

160 words

The figures are all correct, but agreement errors appear in almost every sentence.

The graph give information about percentage of household that owned or rented home in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Overall, the percentage of people who own their home go up a lot over the period, and it become higher than the percentage renting at some point in the 1970s. It reach highest point in 2001, but then go down a little by 2011.

In 1918, only 23% of household owned their home, and 77% rented. Ownership keep going up over time, and by 1971 it had become higher than renting, at 52% compare to 48%. It keep rising until 1991, when it reach 67%.

By 2001, ownership was at highest level, 69%, and renting was at lowest, 31%. But by 2011, ownership had go down slightly to 65%, and renting had go up little to 35%. This small change at end may have been link to rising house price or shift in attitude toward renting during that period.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Reports the key figures accurately, matching the content of the band 7 answer.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised chronologically, following the same structure as the higher-band answers.

Lexical Resource: Limited by "household" being used without its plural form throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement errors ("graph give", "percentage of people who own... go up", "it become higher", "it reach highest point") appear in nearly every sentence.

Band 4-5 - What to Avoid

49 words

No exact figures anywhere in the report, the key reversal at the end of the period is missed, and it closes with a personal opinion.

This graph show home owning and renting from 1918 to 2011.

In old time more people rent, but this change over time, more people buy home now.

I think buying home is better than rent, this is why more people do it, this is my opinion about this topic.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: No exact figures are given anywhere in the response despite the task requiring precise reporting, the 2011 reversal is missed entirely, and the closing sentence is a personal opinion that has no place in a Task 1 report. At well under 150 words, the response is also underlength.

Coherence & Cohesion: Reads as three short, disconnected remarks rather than an organised description of the trend over time.

Lexical Resource: Vague, repetitive vocabulary ("change over time", "more people buy") used instead of the specific figures given in the graph.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors throughout ("this graph show", "more people buy home now").

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These sample answers are written independently for Prep IELTS Now to illustrate real band-score differences. They are a study aid, not official Cambridge or IELTS material.