IELTS Academic Writing Task 1/ Graph Writing – Column Graph:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart 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.
Model Answer:
The bar chart compares the proportion of households living in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales from 1918 to 2011.
Overall, the long-term trend shows a steady rise in home ownership, accompanied by a corresponding decline in renting. By the end of the period, owning a home had become the more common arrangement, whereas renting dominated the early decades.
In 1918, almost 80% of households in the UK and Wales lived in rented accommodation, making it the overwhelmingly preferred option at that time. Home ownership was comparatively rare, with just over 20% of households owning their homes. Over the following decades, however, this pattern began to shift. By 1939 and 1953, rented housing still accounted for roughly two-thirds of all households, although ownership had slowly edged upward.
The most dramatic change occurred between 1961 and 1991. During this period, home ownership increased sharply, rising from around 40% in 1961 to a peak of approximately 70% in 2001. During the same period, renting fell to just about 30%, marking a complete reversal of the 1918 situation. The year 1971 was a key turning point, as the proportion of owners and renters became equal for the first time, both standing at around 50%.
Although ownership remained dominant into the 21st century, the final decade saw a slight decline. By 2011, home ownership had fallen back to around 65%, while renting rose modestly to just over one-third of all households.