Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-07
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The bar charts and line graph below show the results of a survey conducted over a three-year period to discover what people who live in London think of the city.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.
What are the best things about living in London?
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The presented bar and line graph describes the three year period survey result about UK people opinions for the city.
Overall, it can be mentioned that the bar graph showed the best and worst things about living in London while the line graph depicts the major problems.
To initiate with in first year there are 45% range of shops that are the good things while with same year the bad things for UK inhabitant was cost of living was about 58%.The other good things during 2nd and 3rd year was job opportunities, mixture of people, museum and art galleries followed by night life and transport. There trend in year 2 relatively low as compared to year 3.The disturbing things was traffic congestion that was about 57% whereas the rate of crime during 1st year was almost 58% that was the highest number in 2nd year it became 38% that lowers to much extent.
Further analyzing the line graph it can be seen that there are various problems during mentioned periods such as litter, air quality and noise. In start the litter caused 70% problem it increased to 75% in year 2 and again there ratio dropped dramatically. While problem of noise and air quality remained almost the same during three years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides an overview and covers the main features of the charts. However, the data reporting is inconsistent and often inaccurate. For example, you mention '45% range of shops' and '58% cost of living', but the source data is not clearly linked to the specific categories or years in a logical way. The description of the line graph is also vague, failing to clearly distinguish between the three categories (litter, air quality, noise) over the three-year period. To improve, ensure you accurately transcribe data points and group them logically rather than listing them in a way that is difficult for the reader to follow.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression within them is weak. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused, such as 'To initiate with in first year' and 'Further analyzing the line graph'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to follow which data point belongs to which category. The transition between the bar charts and the line graph is abrupt. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through the data.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'good things', 'bad things', and 'problems'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'UK inhabitant' instead of 'London residents' and 'lowers to much extent' instead of 'decreased significantly'. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of precision and the reliance on simple phrasing prevent a higher score. To improve, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'a significant proportion'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('the bar graph showed', 'there ratio dropped'), article usage ('in first year'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are awkward or contain fragments, such as 'The other good things during 2nd and 3rd year was job opportunities...'. While the meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and punctuation limits the score. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, and try to construct more complex sentences with accurate punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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