Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-12
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 charts depict information about a survey conducted over a three-year time frame to research what people think about the London city while living there.
Overall, the best thing about London was the museums and art galleries had increased over the time. while the worst thing about the city was the traffic and crime, although it decreases in the end.
The best thing about the London, range of shops, job opportunities and transport had showed a significant decline, decreasing from 45% in first year to 43% in third year, from 38% to 35%, from 25% to 22%, respectively.The museums and art galleries and night life showed a considerable growth, increasing from 29% to 35%, from 21% to 25%, respectively.
On the other hand, the worst things about living in London, the cost of living and traffic congestion and crime had the highest proportion compared with other worst categories, although it decreases in next year, decreasing from 58% to 50%, from 57% in first year to just below 50% in the end, from 58% to 40%. The major problem in London was litter, had the highest percentage in second year at around 75%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts, but the presentation of data is inconsistent and occasionally confusing. While you identify trends, the grouping of categories is sometimes unclear, and the specific data points are not always accurately linked to the correct years. For instance, the description of 'litter' as the major problem in the second year is a good observation, but the overall summary in the second paragraph is slightly inaccurate regarding the trends of the 'best things'. To improve, ensure that your overview clearly distinguishes between the 'best' and 'worst' categories and that your data selection is precise and easy for the reader to follow.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'increasing from... to...' and 'decreasing from... to...'. The transition between sentences could be smoother; for example, the second paragraph starts with 'Overall', but the following sentences lack strong linking words to connect the contrasting trends effectively. Referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when listing multiple percentages in a single sentence, which makes the information difficult to parse.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'considerable growth', 'significant decline', and 'proportion'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the London city' (should be 'London') and 'the best thing... had increased' (referring to the category rather than the percentage). There is also some repetition of basic verbs like 'showed' and 'increasing/decreasing'. To reach a higher band, try to vary your vocabulary by using more precise reporting verbs and avoiding redundant phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('the best thing... had increased') and missing articles ('the London'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'The major problem in London was litter, had the highest percentage...', which lacks a relative pronoun or proper conjunction. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances where commas are missing or misused, affecting the flow of complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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