IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 #5
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Tip: Bar charts often (but not always) show changes over time. It may help to imagine them as a line graph.
Write at least 150 words.
The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1950 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features. Make comparisons where relevant.
The bar chart compares the percentage of English and Welsh households that rented or owned their home over a 70 year period. During this period, the most common arrangement has shifted from renting to home ownership.
In 1950, which is the beginning of the period covered, the number of households that were renting outnumbered those who owned their living quarters by a ratio of more than two to one. However, the proportion of rented homes decreased steadily through the decades, reaching their lowest share in 2000 at 30%. In the 1970s, the two figures reached an equilibrium with about half of households renting and the other half owning the property they lived in. While home ownership peaked in 2000 at 70%, the trend reversed in the following two decades (2010 and 2020), leaving the percentage of households in owned accommodation at around 63%, and those renting at 37%.
In summary, while a greater share of households rented in the initial period covered by the graph, home ownership has become the more prevalent living arrangement. However, if recent trends were to continue, this situation could reverse once more.
Useful Language
home ownership – the state of owning a house or flat
outnumbered – to be higher than another number
ratio – a different way to talk about proportions – a two to one ratio (2:1) would be about 67% to 33%
equilibrium – a state of being equal
the trend reversed – the trend became the opposite
prevalent – widespread/common
